Once Upon A Time -The Darkest Age-
by SoraLego278
Summary: Volume 1 - After discovering someone trapped in a book in the Storybrooke Library, Emma and the others go on a quest into the far reaches of the Enchanted Forest to find a way to save them. They meet new friends, deal with new villains, and try to save a kingdom from an uprising. Many trials may await. Will Emma and the others make it back home in one piece? Rated "T" For Safety!
1. CH0 - Introduction

**_ONCE UPON A TIME ~THE DARKEST AGE~_**

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE GENERAL PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

 **A/N: Hello There! I am Back! THIS time, I have come with a New Story altogether! It is inspired by the ABC Series, " _Once Upon A Time_ ".**

 **NOTE: THIS Story contains various elements from some Fairy Tales, Legends, and several Disney Movies. These belong to Disney and the Other Creators alike.**

 **Also (IF I MAY WARN YOU), this story might end up being Much Darker than any of my past, present, or future " _Kingdom Hearts_ " stories. After all, " _Once Upon A Time_ " is Much Darker than " _Kingdom Hearts_ "!**  
 **In fact, this story will probably be what you would call a "Continuation/Spin-Off" compared to the Official Series.**

 **Plus, This Story does not follow " _Once Upon A Time_ 's" story-line 100%. To explain what I mean, here are the changes to be included in This Story in comparison to the actual series. Please note everything from Seasons 1 to 4 has no revisions in This Story. Season 5 is where all the changes had to be implied. Why? Because This Story was being planned out during the time the first half of Season 5 was airing.**  
 **(1.) Merlin never was killed off. He survived without his heart. Why? Because he drank from the _Holy Grail_ and became immortal. He pretended to die in order to keep Nimue and Killian from trying to kill him again. Instead, he transported himself to Storybrooke, Maine.**  
 **(2.) Rumplestiltskin is no longer the "'Dark One'". When Emma stabbed Killian to death in order to destroy all the Darkness within their hearts, all that Darkness seemingly vanished altogether. As for Rumplestiltskin, he became a hero, although no one knows if they can REALLY trust him.**  
 **(3.) Emma was so upset about Killian's death, she asked Merlin to open a portal into the Underworld. The rest of Season 5 continued, except without Red Riding Hood and Mulan being in the Enchanted Forest, let alone the Land of OZ.**  
 **(4.) Zelena's whereabouts currently remain unknown.**  
 **(5.) HADES no longer poses a threat to anyone. I believe you know what THAT means?  
(6.) ****Do you understand? IF you do, then you are READY TO ROLL!**

 **To start off, here is THE INTRODUCTION!**

* * *

 **INTRODUCTION**

 _ **Once Upon A Time**_ _ **… an evil queen unleashed a powerful curse and banished many of the storybook characters we have ever known to our world.**_

 _ **One day, a "Savior" came along, brought back the happy endings, and redeemed the evil queen.**_

 _ **Sadly, this was just the start of a long journey….**_

 _ **Since then, the "Savior" and the queen have faced beings of both Light and Darkness and sought to claim their own happy endings once and for all.**_

 _ **At one point, the "Savior" allowed the Darkness into her heart and nearly lost her own happy ending for good. With the help of her family and friends, she was able to defeat one more dangerous opponent and restore Hope.**_

 _ **It has been two years since then.**_

 _ **Unknown to the "Savior" or the queen, another story had been unfolding not too far away….**_

* * *

 **A/N: I know, I know. This part only serves as an opening segment for the story. The next two Chapters shall serve as a Prologue for the story. Chapter 3 will set off the main story, which is supposed to take place in the Fall of 2015 - probably somewhere around 2 years from Season 5's ending.**

 **I shall be posting Chapter 1 shortly. PLEASE STAY TUNED!**

 **Please Do NOT Forget this ["Important"] reminder, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

 **This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	2. Ch1 - Deep In The Forest

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE GENERAL PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

 **A/N: Hello There! I am Back! HERE IS CHAPTER 1! I DECIDED TO POST THIS THE SAME DAY AS THE INTRODUCTION!**

 **NOTE: THIS Story contains various elements from some Fairy Tales, Legends, and several Disney Movies. These belong to Disney and the Other Creators alike.**

 **Also (IF I MAY WARN YOU), this story might end up being Much Darker than any of my past, present, or future " _Kingdom Hearts_ " stories. After all, " _Once Upon A Time_ " is Much Darker than " _Kingdom Hearts_ "!**

 **In fact, this story will probably be what you would call a "Continuation/Spin-Off" compared to the Official Series.**

 **To start off, here is CHAPTER ONE!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1  
** **Deep In The Forest**

 _ **(Winnie-The-Pooh, Piglet, and Tigger are shown playing in the middle of the forest.)**_

A gentle breeze blew through the forest. Through the branches, the rays of the sun could be seen. An occasional bird call echoed through the air, vanishing into the underbrush. The woods felt calm and very serene, even for the early afternoon.

As her feet landed softly along the dirt road, Donna proceeded through the area. Her long, golden hair flowed gently down her back with a slice or two draped over her shoulders. Her brown boots crunched against a stick as she continued along her way.

With a deep breath, Donna closed her bright green eyes for a second, taking in the pleasant surroundings. She reopened them and proceeded through the forest. Her faded blue dress protected her from the infrequent mosquitoes, and she had a red, wool jacket to keep her arms warm.

"It's okay," Donna told herself as she continued along the road. "They'll understand… won't they?"

She was not so sure. Would her friends understand if she told them? How would they react? How long until she found one of them? …That last question was not necessary.

Actually, did she need to be so worried? These things tended to happen. Besides, she was seventeen years old now. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Every girl she had known had been through this at one time or another. Now, it was her turn.

With all this pondering going through her mind, Donna continued along the path. After passing a small mound of leaves, she reached a clearing in the woods. Like she had expected, a small, golden furred bear was sitting on a long on the far edge of the area. If it was not for his red T-shirt, Donna might not have recognized him. Then again, he _was_ thinking (as usual).

"Hi!" she called as she marched over.

The bear saw her and smiled. "Oh! Hello, Donna."

Donna stopped just before the bear. "Hi, Pooh. What's new?"

"Nothing," Pooh grinned all the more. "I was just… thinking. This _is_ my favorite part of the day."

Donna was perplexed. Which part of the day did Pooh mean _this_ time? Last week, it was his bedtime. The month before that, his favorite time was eating the pot of honey Piglet and Eeyore had given him as a friendship present. Two years ago, it was when the first snow had fallen upon the forest.

"What part do you mean?" Donna inquired.

Pooh hopped into her arms. Even for a living being, the bear still felt like the stuffed animal Donna loved so much. "The part where you and me become 'we'. I look forward to it every day."

Donna sighed as she set Pooh down onto the ground. This was not going to be easy for her to say. "Pooh… I have something important to tell you."

"Is it something nice?" Pooh asked.

"Not quite what I would say…. "

Pooh turned his head and started to chase after a passing reddish-colored butterfly. "Then it can wait."

Donna gasped as stared at him. " _Really_? For how long?"

Pooh continued to chase the butterfly. "Forever and ever."

Donna had to give a deep sigh. "Pooh, forever and ever is a very long time."

Pooh snatched the butterfly from the air and held his paws closed. "Forever is not long at all," he replied, swinging his attention to the seventeen-year-old, golden-haired girl. "When I'm with you."

"But," Donna started to say. She paused and slouched down to the base of the tree behind her. Her thoughts collected themselves. How could she explain to Pooh about what was supposed to take place later that day?

* * *

 _ **THE ENCHANTED FOREST  
**_ _ **MANY YEARS AGO**_

 _It was a cheerful day somewhere deep in the_ _ **Enchanted Forest**_ _. As Donna ran through the patch of rainbow-colored wildflowers, she found herself laughing louder and louder. The playfulness of her actions made it all the more fun._

" _Donna!" a voice called from behind. "Wait for me!"_

 _Donna stopped running and turned back. There was her older sister, Goldilocks, hurrying to catch up. Donna had to smile in a playful way. It was no wonder why her sister was named "Goldilocks". She had long, golden hair — it was almost twice as long as Donna's own hair. Of course, she was three years older and seemed to be a lot more cautious in her daily life._

 _Goldilocks finally caught up. "Do not rush ahead like that!" she stated. "There may be an animal or two hiding in these flowers — waiting to snatch you up in a hurry."_

 _Donna shook her head. "Goldilocks, you worry too much."_

" _Maybe_ **you** _don't worry enough!"_

 _Donna giggled. "You know there's no wild animals hiding in these flowers. You always act like three bears are suddenly going to pop out and carry us off for some porridge or worse."_

 _Goldilocks sighed. "You will never understand."_

 _Donna gave a sigh of her own. It was always the same. Goldilocks seemed to treat her like she knew absolutely nothing. She tended to boss her around, too. After their Mom had died, the two had slowly become further and further apart. By now, it appeared the two sisters might be on the verge of turning into some of the worst enemies the universe would ever know._

 _Goldilocks snorted her disapproval and turned around. "Do what you want. I'm going home."_

 _Donna took a step forward and stopped. She looked up into the sky. The clouds were gradually moving across the vast expanse above. A few tears came into her eyes. "Please, someone up there, hear me," she softly said. "I want a friend — a special, true friend. Nothing more, nothing less._ _ **Please**_ _!"_

 _There was no sound from above, let alone below. She gave a deep sigh and headed back towards home. Goldilocks had gotten a great head-start, so Donna had to quicken her pace to make it there first._

* * *

With a deep breath, Donna sat up and looked straight at Pooh. The bear of very little brain was smiling at her, which was normal. "Pooh," she said. "I… I am getting married."

Pooh looked beyond confused. He tilted his head to the side. "Hmm?"

Donna had to shake her head. "I will be living with someone else, someplace else," she said. "My father set the whole thing up. He's a hunter, but he cries over any living thing he kills."

She paused, hesitant about how to say the next part. "I… I might not be coming back."

Pooh's smile was instantly replaced with a sad look. He raced up to Donna and gave her a hug. "Don't leave!" he told her. "Because I'd be quite lost without you."

"Yes," a very timid voice agreed. "T-That's right."

"You're not kiddin'," another added.

"It sounds terrible," a third stated.

"Quite right," said a fourth.

"You can't be sss-serious, Donna," declared a fifth.

"It's going to make me feel really gloomy," said a sixth.

"The same goes for us," called a seventh.

"And me, too!" shouted an eighth.

"Things would never be the same around here," proclaimed a ninth.

"I would be quite lonely without you, Donna," sighed a tenth.

Donna looked around the clearing. One by one, a group of living creatures approached her and Pooh.

One of them was a small, pink piglet named… Piglet.

Another was a striped tiger who loved to bounce; his name was Tigger.

There was a yellow bunny named Rabbit.

There was also a brown owl named, well, Owl, and a grey gopher named Gopher.

Next in line was a bluish donkey named Eeyore. He was accompanied by a pair of bouncing kangaroos named Kanga and Roo. Roo was wearing a blue T-shirt.

A little bluebird flew over to Donna and grabbed her arm, tears starting to form in the small living animal's eyes. Donna sighed, knowing this was Kessie. She noticed the baby elephant tagging along — it was Lumpy.

"You see?" Pooh told Donna. "Without you, 'we' simply wouldn't be!"

Donna took a deep breath. This was becoming more and more difficult every second. How would she be able to convince her childhood friends everything would be alright? Ever since her wish had been granted nearly ten years ago, she had spent lots of fun times with them. They'd played hide-and-seek countless times. They had explored the spooky caves on the edge of the forest. They had experienced a few flash floods, a blizzard, and even endured a swarm of bees chasing them all over the place multiple times. How could she ever leave them?

If only there was a way she and her fiancé could take the group with them….

The thought suddenly criss-crossed her mind If she were to explain to her future husband about her animal friends, maybe he would help her find a way to being them along — and keep them safe from anyone who might be wandering in the woods.

"I have an idea," Donna announced as she rose to her feet. Pooh and Kessie set down onto the ground and turned their attention to her. Everyone else did the same. "I will ask my fiancé if he will help me bring all of you along."

This seemed to cheer up all the living stuffed animals. Donna waved goodbye as she hurried back down the road she had taken to them. A smile crept over her face.

Maybe there was still a way she could bring her friends with her. Maybe she would never have to say goodbye to them.

* * *

 _The wind calmly blew through the room. The curtains moved a little as the moonlight came shining inside. From her soft, cozy bed, Donna stirred. She yawned and stretched before rubbing her eyes. She sat up and looked around her room. She could see her stuffed animals all strewn about. This was normal._

 _Her stuffed bear was lying on her covers. There was an orange tiger beside him. A yellow rabbit was located somewhere near the mirror on the far wall. A brown owl was situated beside her nightstand. There was a small, bluebird beside the owl. A kangaroo and its child were located near the window. Beside them was a small piglet, a donkey, and a gopher. Seated in the far corner was a baby elephant._

 _Donna sighed. Even with all these stuffed animals around, she still felt very lonely. True, her father tended to come into the room each night and tell her stories about these very animals. "Remember, Donna," he always said each night before she fell asleep. "Believe in these stories. It will help them come true."_

 _He had said the same thing less than five hours before._

 _Following a deep breath, Donna rose from her bed. She carefully stepped onto the floor so her white night dress would not get caught on the wooden bedframe. She proceeded to the window, careful not to make a sound. When she reached the windowsill, she pushed the glass frames aside and peered out._

 _The sparkling star. She could see it high above the treetops. Her father had called it "_ The Wishing Star _". It was one of the brightest stars in the sky. He had once shown her and Goldilocks a special way to make a wish. Now… how did it go?_

"' _Flap like a bird'," Donna said to herself as she flapped her arms. She started to hop up and down. "'Jump like a frog'…. "_

 _She sat down and stood up. "'Sit down… stand up'…. "_

 _She pointed out the open window. "'Wish… wish… wish'!"_

 _She paused, waiting for something to happen. Her face was filled with a happy-go-lucky smile. The time seemed to slow down within a matter of one minute. Her smile faded. With a downcast facial expression, Donna sighed deeply._

 _Apparently, wishes only came true in fairy tales._

 _As she turned around and started for her bed, a sudden movement caught her eye. She spun around. A small, twinkling light was descending from the sky. Donna raced back to the window, only to notice the star was still in its rightful place. The light was coming from something else._

 _And… it was heading her way._

 _Donna stepped back a few steps as the light grew brighter and closer. It slowly became a little bigger. By the time it reached her window, the light was slightly below blinding. Donna had to keep her hands in front of her face before the light faded out._

 _When she could look again, Donna immediately realized she was not alone in the room. Hovering in the middle of the open window was a tiny, human-like creature with bluish wings. It seemed to be a woman sporting long, brown hair tied in a messy ponytail, slightly-tanned skin, brown eyes, and freckles on her face. She was wearing an orange, sleeveless shirt with a single shoulder strap, a dark-brown skirt, and mud-colored boots. She had a greenish hairband tied in her hair. Her clothes were all dirty and wrinkled. In her left hand was a tiny, glowing item._

 _Donna stared in surprise. This creature seemed to resemble one from a story she had once read. "You… you are… a… fairy!" she declared in a hushed voice._

 _The fairy smiled. "Hi, Donna," she said in a playful voice. "I'm Fawn — an Animal-talent fairy."_

 _Donna was having a difficult time believing her eyes. A fairy! In her own bedroom! How incredible was_ that _! It was probably an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. After all, how many people got to meet a_ **real** _fairy?!_

 _Fawn flew a little closer and started to circle the seven-year-old girl's head. Donna pinched her arm, only to feel pain. Not only was this not a dream, she had a fairy flying around her head._

 _Fawn laughed when she stopped. To Donna, her laugh sounded like playful chimes. "I am here to grant your wish," she said._

 _Donna raised an eyebrow. "How will do that?"_

 _Fawn held up her glowing object. Donna looked unconvinced. "That's a stick."_

 _Fawn frowned and placed her arms at her sides. "This is_ _ **not**_ _a stick. This is a magic wand. Only fairies who have wish-making privileges have one."_

" _I see…. "_

" _So, what is your wish?"_

 _Donna took a deep breath. "I want… I want a friend. A special friend. Nothing else matters to me."_

 _Fawn smiled again. "As you wish."_

 _Fawn waved her wand through the air. A thin cloud of magical fairy dust flew across the room. Before Donna's eyes, the dust landed onto each of her stuffed animals. In a matter of seconds, the animals were stretching, yawning, and standing up._

 _Donna was amazed. All of her toys were coming to life. Within two minutes, they were crowding around her. Fawn smiled. "Donna," the fairy declared. "Meet your friends: Winnie-The-Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Gopher, Kanga, Roo, Kessie, and Lumpy. I hope you're happy."_

 _Each of the now-living stuffed animals raised their arms when Fawn called their name. Donna found herself smiling. Tears formed in her eyes from such an extreme amount of joy._

 _Fawn started wiping a few tears aside herself. After all, watching others be so happy made her smile more than ever._

 _Before Fawn could react, Donna had grabbed her and was squeezing her in a hug. "Thank you so much!"_

 _Fawn could barely breathe. She had to gasp just to get oxygen into her lungs. Her wings were completely squished. "Donna," she squeaked. "You're_ _ **crushing**_ _me!"_

 _Donna's ears perked up in a hurry. She hastily released her grip on the tiny fairy. Fawn flew into the air, still trying to catch her breath. Her wings struggled to remain aloft for a moment or two. "Please do not tell anyone about the magic I used here," she told Donna._

 _Donna looked puzzled. "What? Why not?"_

 _Fawn flew in close to Donna's face. "They say 'All magic comes with a price'. If you keep this a secret, it will help both of us."_

 _Fawn paused. She looked down at the shadow-covered wooden floor. "Hopefully me…. "_

 _Donna looked at the fairy with a tilted head. "What do you mean?"_

 _Fawn shook her head speedily and looked at Donna. "Nothing!" she stated with a large smile. "I should get going. Queen Clarion might need me."_

 _In the blink of an eye, Fawn soared out the window and disappeared from sight. Donna stepped to the windowsill, only to discover Fawn had departed altogether. There was no sign of her fairy friend. This puzzled the golden-haired girl. Where had she gone off to? People do not just disappear._

 _Then again, fairies were not completely human. So, did this mean fairies_ _ **could**_ _just disappear?_

 _Donna did not have much time to think about it. Pooh and the others were clambering all over her. Donna swept her eyes around her room. She shrugged a little, knowing there was not enough space for them all in this one room. There was only one option left._

 _She needed to find a forested area for them to be safe._

 _Looking out the window, Donna's eyes landed onto a clump of trees on the other side of a field of wildflowers. That particular region had been considered sacred by the townspeople. Legend had it one of the gods or goddesses on Mount Olympus had once set foot in there._

 _A forest of exactly one hundred acres… she had the perfect name for her newly-created friends' neighborhood._

 _ **The Hundred Acre Wood**._

* * *

The sun was starting to drop towards the horizon. Donna came racing down the road out of the forest and into a lush, open meadow. Dozens of wildflowers could be seen in every direction. The scents of millions of rainbow-colored fragrances filled her nose and helped her feel relieved. After all, this might affect her entire future for all _she_ knew.

Donna came scurrying over to the not-too-distant farmhouse. Not only was it the closest one to the forest, it was the only one without a thatched roof. The roof, instead, was carefully crafted from wood; so was the house itself. In fact, the place was what her father had come to call a "log cabin". This had made it easier to spot and helped Donna find her way home each day. Of course, it also made the other townspeople question her father's decision-making. Even though her father was a woodcutter, most of the local people did not approve of his decisions.

Rumors had been going around that his eldest daughter had run away from home. Donna did not believe it. Then again, she hadn't seen Goldilocks for almost a week now. Whatever could have become of her? She had absolutely no clue.

Donna found her father standing on the front porch of the cabin. He was talking with her fiancé, Luke Humbert. To be honest, Donna found Luke to be an attractive young man. He was very handsome, kind, and loved nature. He had a thickening goatee and possessed thick, brown hair and blue eyes. He was always wearing that clothing made from animal skins and carrying a bow with a quiver of arrows.

"Dad," Donna called out as she reached the house. The two men turned to face her.

"Donna," her father said in surprise. "Where have you been?"

"I was… out in the woods," Donna replied.

"Be careful out there," Luke stated in a thick accent. "There may be wolves. They should be a protected animal, but they will not hesitate to attack anyone passing through their territories."

Donna sighed. This was not going to be easy. "I have something _important_ to show you, Luke."

"Donna," her father started to say.

Luke turned to him. "Christopher Robin, let me handle this."

Christopher Robin took a few moments before he nodded in return. Luke headed over to Donna. He stopped before her. Even though he was clearly several years older than her, Luke and Donna were about the same height. He crossed his arms. "Alright. What important thing do you want to show me?"

Donna started for the forest. "Follow me!"

Luke gave a short nod and gave chase. It was not long before the two had marched through the meadow and were heading deep into the forest.

* * *

 _The sun came early the next morning. Since the wind had ventured off to unknown parts, the air was very still. The sky was clear, giving a calm sensation to all as Donna walked down the road leading into the forest. Accompanying her were her newly-created friends. Pooh held her hand while Piglet held his other paw. Tigger, Kanga, Roo, and Lumpy seemed to be bouncing along. Rabbit and Gopher were marching with smiles. Owl and Kessie calmly glided along above the group. Eeyore was last, dragging along at a steady pace._

 _As they all passed through a field of wildflowers, none of them noticed someone else in the immediate area. With a deep breath, Goldilocks grabbed the scent of a shiny, red flower. She reopened her eyes, only to see Donna strolling down the road in the middle of the field._

 _When she saw the living stuffed animals, Goldilocks gasped. In an instant, she wondered if Donna had gotten mixed up with magic. For a long time, she had known magic naturally came with a price. The only thing she did know was what price Donna would have to pay._

 _Either way, the thought of her younger sister getting into trouble made Goldilocks curious. She started to sneak through the flower patch. It was not difficult to blend in thanks to her golden hair and red dress with its blue bow. The flowers were each mainly one of these three colors._

 _By the time Goldilocks was close enough to see her sister, she took a few moments to listen in. She could hear laughter and cheers. She froze. Why was Donna sounding so cheerful, considering she had most-likely used some magic to bring her stuffed animal toys to life? Goldilocks had to know._

 _She peered through a patch of flowers and could see Donna's face. To her surprise, Donna was pleased. She was holding hands with her stuffed bear in the red T-shirt. This display made Goldilocks remember when their father had given Donna that very stuffed toy. It had been the day after their mother had died._

 _This feeling. Goldilocks felt a strong jealousy building from inside. She speedily pushed it aside. She was_ _ **not**_ _about to do anything drastic! After all, Donna was her sister. So what if their father tended to spoil her more? Donna was younger. One day, she would get the chance to experience exactly what Goldilocks was feeling now._

 _Until then, Goldilocks would have to wait it out. She decided to hold her jealousy inside in the meantime. There was no way it would have any effect on her own life — just Donna's life._

 _Goldilocks quietly snuck away and disappeared into the field of flowers. She was far, far, far, far, far away before Donna (or anyone else) could have noted her presence._

* * *

Deep in the forest, Donna and Luke continued down the road. The sunlight was starting to fade. The same gentle breeze from before flowed through the trees. An occasional bird call could be heard from various parts of the woods.

At regular intervals, Donna glanced over her shoulder. She noticed Luke was keeping his ears open for any sign of trouble. She knew what he was _really_ doing. He was still convinced there was a wolf pack in the forest. She shook her head. Having explored these woods for the last decade, she knew for sure there were no wolves living anywhere inside.

Instead, the entire forest had a certain "magical" feel about it.

The two finally reached a clearing. When Donna stopped, Luke turned to her. "I don't see anything surprising."

Donna shook her head. "You have to be patient."

She took a few steps into the middle of the area. "You can come out now," she announced, using her hands to magnify her voice.

One by one, Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Gopher, Kanga, Roo, Kessie, and Lumpy all appeared from behind the nearby trees.

Donna smiled as they all approached her. "Donna," Luke said from behind. She looked back to see him staring in surprise. "Are they for real?"

Donna gave him a nod. "Yes," she affirmed. "Luke, meet my friends." Pooh grasped Donna's hand, so she did the same.

Luke pointed straight at Pooh while not taking his eyes off Donna. "How is this possible?"

"A fairy brought them to life for me," Donna explained. "I made a wish, and it came true. But, the fairy told me not to tell anyone else."

"I know why," Luke said. "All magic has a price. With all this, you must have hit a lot of it. I can see why you've been so antsy about getting married."

"Please," Donna pleaded with her eyes. "I do not wish to lose them. Nothing else ever mattered to me this much."

"This has to be a way to help them," Luke paused in thought. He scratched his chin and started to slowly pace around. Donna, Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and the others all watched. Kessie, Roo, and Lumpy's eyes trailed Luke's movement each and every second; their heads turned as they kept their eyes locked onto him.

The minutes seemed to last longer than hours. After a long time of waiting, Luke came to a halt and turned his attention to Donna and the others. "There might be a way," he said.

Donna's eyes lit up with determination. "How?"

"I once heard there was a sorcerer who has the power to grant any request," Luke revealed. "He might have a way to help you."

Donna wanted to clap for joy. She was barely able to hold back her enthusiasm. There _**was**_ a way! She needed to find it — and fast, too. It would not be long before the wedding, so she needed to hurry.

"Where can I find this 'sorcerer'?" she inquired.

Luke shrugged. "I have no idea," he admitted. "I only know of him through a pirate captain I once met. His name was Killian Jones, though most people called 'Captain Hook'."

Donna felt stumped. "What kind of name is _that_?!"

"He had a hook for his left hand. You'll recognize him by it."

Donna, Pooh, and the others turned to leave. "Then, let's go!"

She stopped, noticing Luke was not following. "Aren't you coming, Luke?"

"Sorry," Luke shook his head. "I'll tell your father you've gone on an 'important quest'. That should buy you enough time to find that sorcerer and get back here before our wedding."

Donna nodded. "Thank you so much!"

Luke nodded in return. In no time flat, Donna was racing through the woods, accompanied by her friends. Pooh was carrying Piglet. Kanga, Tigger, and Roo were bouncing on their way. Lumpy was marching. Rabbit, Eeyore, and Gopher were running alongside Donna. Owl and Kessie were flying through the air. They rushed down the road.

It appeared it would not be long before they all reached the sorcerer and got the help they needed. All they needed to do first was find that pirate captain.

At least, that's what Donna believed….

* * *

 **A/N: And... there you have it! THE FIRST CHAPTER OF A NEW STORY!**

 **I know it most-likely seems surprising to see me posting a story that is Not " _Kingdom Hearts_ ". Yet, I DID post another version of This Story a while back. It was deleted due to lack of popularity. This Story shall serve as the start of a brand-new story series based on " _Once Upon A Time_ ".**

 **For the record, This Chapter does serve as the first part of a Prologue for This Story. The MAIN STORY will officially start with Chapter 3.**  
 **Also, Luke Humbert is supposed to be The Huntsman from Season 1. I wonder if you noticed?**  
 **In addition, Fawn is one of the _Disney Fairies_. I presume you most-likely already knew that.**  
 **Plus, Donna is one of my Original Characters for THIS Story.**

 **So, here is a " Foreshadow"/"HINT" for the next Chapter! Why did I do this? The show does the same thing!  
HINT: "DONNA AND HER FRIENDS HEAD OUT TO FIND THE SORCERER. WHILE THEY SEARCH, THEY ARE ASKED ON AN IMPORTANT AND DANGEROUS TASK TO RETRIEVE SOMETHING IN ORDER TO LEARN WHERE HE IS. RISKS WILL NEED TO BE TAKEN, AND TROUBLE MAY BE AROUND THE NEXT TURN. WILL DONNA FIND THE SORCERER IN TIME?"  
FIND OUT IN CHAPTER TWO!**

 **Lastly, I might Not be able to write this story very rapidly - Especially in comparison to how swiftly I wrote " _Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams_ ". Besides, it has taken me a long time to write each Chapter for " _Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light_ ". I shall be trying my best to focus on these two separate stories - at the same time.**

 **Of course, Please Do NOT Forget this ["Important"] reminder, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

 **This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	3. Ch2 - Offering A Helping Hand

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE GENERAL PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

 **A/N: Hello There! I am Back! HERE IS CHAPTER 2!**

 **Now, for the record, I will be including a " _Previously..._ " segment at the start of each Chapter to let you know what plot details matter in each new chapter. The only exception is This Chapter. After all, it IS only the second one. What is there to Review other than Chapter 1?**

 **Following the episode this past Sunday, I was inspired to make some change(s) to This Story's Storyline. Here is/are the change(s).**  
 **(1.) Hades did strike down Robin Hood, so Zelena eliminated him in turn (like in the episode, "' _Last Rites_ '").**  
 **(2.) Regina has now given up hope of getting a happy ending beyond her sister and Henry.**  
 **(3.) Due to Robin Hood's absence, Zelena has become the new leader of the Merry Men.**  
 **(4.) All the other change(s) I mentioned in Chapter 1 is/are still the same.**  
 **(5.) Do you understand? IF you do, then you are READY TO ROLL!**

 **For those of you who are looking forward to the next chapter of " _Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light_ ", Please Be Patient a little longer. Now that classes are officially over, I have more time to write, read, and do the many other things I like to do. I promise, another Chapter will be coming sometime during May - and I mean it.**

 **So, with that all taken care of, HERE IS CHAPTER TWO! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW ALIKE!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2**  
 **Offering A Helping Hand**

 _ **(The Minotaur is shown marching through the forest.)**_

 _The forest seemed rather uninviting. The shadows were thick and there seemed to be no change to them. The sunlight that did seep through was not bright enough to reassure Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Gopher, Kanga, Roo, Kessie, and Lumpy. As they followed Donna through the woods, they felt more and more anxious._

 _A loud_ **HOOT** _filled the air. Piglet grabbed Donna's ankle and clung on. "Oh d-d-d-dear!" he gulped._

 _Eeyore took note of the gloomy surroundings. "This looks like how Saturday Night will be at my house…. "_

 _Tigger gulped very uneasily. "I hope they ain't any Heffalumps or Woozles where we're goin'."_

 _Pooh looked puzzled. "You mean 'Elephants' and 'Weasels'?"_

 _Tigger nodded. "That's what I said — Heffalumps and Woozles."_

" _What do they do?" Lumpy inquired._

 _Tigger grinned. "Not much," he admitted. "Just steal honey."_

 _Pooh, Piglet, and Rabbit gasped. "_ _ **Steal**_ _honey?!"_

 _Donna stopped. She turned to the others. "Listen, there are_ _ **no**_ _dangerous animals in these woods," she stated. "I've checked this place several times with my sister. It's perfectly safe."_

 _Following a series of relieved sighs, Donna led her friends further into the woods. When they were deep enough into the forest, a large clearing came into view. At the center of it was a fallen log. Donna stopped, so everyone else halted in turn._

 _Donna smiled. "This is it. The Hundred Acre Wood."_

 _The others all peeked out. They were still shaking with anxiety. A passing honeybee caught Pooh's eye. He smiled. "Where there's bees, there's bound to be honey!"_

 _Piglet noticed a small, wilting flower. He hurried over to it and held up its violet petals. With the sun's rays touching its petals, the flower was able to stay upright. This sight made the very, very small stuffed animal smile. "I may be small," he said. "But in the biggest, helpful-est way!"_

 _Tigger spotted some tree stumps on the other side of the clearing. With a happy shout, he bounded over and started bouncing all over them. "The most-wonderful thing about Tiggers is_ _ **I'm**_ _the only one!"_

 _Rabbit swept his eyes carefully across the area. He noticed something through a patch of trees. He marched over and disappeared through them for a few moments. When he returned, he had a large grin on his face. In his hands was a pile of dirt. "The soil over there's rich enough for my new garden!"_

 _Eeyore looked around slowly. "Hmm… I might find a place to build a new house," he commented. "But first, I need to find some sticks."_

 _Owl flew over the clearing. "This would be the perfect place for me to join the Morning Chorus!"_

 _Gopher dug a little into the ground. "Perfect!" he cheered. "This ground's sss-soft enough for me to dig a tunnel sss-system into it!"_

 _Kanga and Roo hopped around. "There's plenty of space here for bouncin'," Roo said with delight._

" _And I believe I can make us a house in one of these trees," Kanga added._

" _There's plenty of room to fly around!" Kessie declared with joy._

" _And I can jump all around!" Lumpy smiled._

 _Everyone went about doing their own things. From Donna's viewpoint, they all seemed to be getting used to their new surroundings. This made her smile._

" _I hope this never has to end," she told herself. She hoped it would not end. Yet, as clear as the seasons transition from one to the next, all good things will one day come to an end…._

 _Until then, she wanted to enjoy this time._

* * *

The forest was long gone. Even though it had only been a few hours, Donna and her friends had marched several miles. Their home was now behind them. Their place of safety, and comfort, was now a long ways back. There was no going back now.

They had a quest to complete. If they could locate the pirate captain Luke had mentioned, they would be one step closer to finding the sorcerer who might be able to help them.

Donna and her friends were marching at a steady pace. Tigger had suggested a marching song, so everyone was stepping to the beat of Donna's singing. " _ **Sing Ho, for the life of a bear**_ _!_ " she sang out.

"That's me!" Pooh called.

" _ **Song Ho, for the expedition**_ _!_ " Donna sang.

" _It's such a fine day for marching_ ," Owl chanted.

" _There's a tiny little breeze_ ," Kessie added.

" _There's honey for the making_ ," Rabbit chanted.

" _And a buzz among the bees_ ," Lumpy continued.

The group proceeded down the long road ahead. The further they went, the more open the landscape became. In fact, the forests had transitioned into vast, open grasslands. Some of the blades of grass were so tall, they reached up to Donna's shoulders. Tigger could bounce over them, and Owl and Kessie could fly over, but everyone else was unable to get past unless they wandered through the middle.

As they continued along, Donna felt the same feeling she had felt ever since she had first brought her friends into the forest near her home. Now, that felt like ages ago. She hoped she would never have to say goodbye to her friends — no matter what.

The group continued to the top of a high hill. They had been marching nonstop for nearly five hours. Donna's stomach started to growl. She had completely forgotten to bring along something to eat. With a deep sigh, she peered into the distance. Her eyes landed upon some not-too-distant rooftops.

A town. Perhaps she would find the pirate captain there. She had to try. There was no other option.

Donna pointed into the distance. "Let's check it out!"

She led the way down the hill and along the road ahead. Pooh and the others marched along behind. They were now humming the song they had been singing. Gopher's squeak sometimes filled the air. The bouncy tail of Tigger could be seen folding up like an accordion as he bounded down the path. Pooh held Piglet's hand to his left and Donna's hand to his right. Roo rode on Lumpy's back while Kanga followed them both from behind. Rabbit marched along like he was enjoying a parade. Owl and Kessie glided along before the group.

Eeyore was the last one to follow Donna. "I should have stayed home today," he sighed as he trudged along.

* * *

The town was noisy and crowded. Every which way, someone was moving either dashing in a hurry or going as slow as a sloth. Donna had to remind her friends to stop whenever a speeding wagon or cart rolled on past.

Donna gazed up at the rooftops. The slanted wooden design and the shingled roof stood out to her. This was certainly _not_ the same architecture she was used to back home. The roofs were either a reddish-yellow color or a bright blue tint. The windows contained a diamond design in their frames. The sun kept bouncing its light off them.

Donna shielded her eyes. She kept them peeled for any sign of trouble or anyone who resembled the man Luke had told her about. So far, no one resembled a pirate captain. No one looked anything like a pirate — at least, not the storybook kind.

The group reached the edge of a dockyard. Fewer people milled about here. The tops of tall masts could be seen all around. The scent of fresh fish flooded the air. Still, the sounds of many conversations happening all at once were mixing up in all directions.

As she looked around, Donna kept her eyes peeled for anything that resembled a pirate captain. Her eyes stopped when she noticed a particular individual standing on the railing of a ship with black railings and red paint along the hull.

He looked like a really handsome man, sporting black hair, blue eyes, a thin goatee, and an earring or two. He had dark colors around his eyes, making him seem much spookier than Donna had pictured. He was wearing a long, black coat with very long sleeves, a red vest, black pants, and matching boots. He was gurgling down a bottle of what seemed to be dark-red liquid.

Blood? She shook her head in an instant. It seemed to resemble a form of alcohol, or wine for that matter. Whatever it was, she had no clue for sure.

Donna marched up to the ship, curiosity clinging in her eyes. Pooh and the others trailed along behind her. As she neared the ship's gangway, Donna was nearly bumped into by a rather short man wearing a red wool hat. ' _People can be so rude_ ', she thought to herself. ' _He didn't say excuse me_!'

Donna walked up the gangway. Someone grabbed her arm. "Jest a moment, lass," a deep voice said.

Donna froze and looked to her right. A tall, burly man was standing there, frowning at her. He possessed a clean-shaven face and had a bandanna wrapped around his forehead. Donna gulped. This man looked like scary.

"No one's allowed on board without the captain's permission," he stated. "Get off!"

Donna seemed hesitant. "P-please! I… I was just looking for someone!"

The man's eyebrows furrowed. "Rules are rules. You're not allowed to be here. Get off, or I'll throw you over the railing."

Donna felt her heart racing. She wrestled her right arm free from the man's grip. Before she could move elsewhere, a voice declared, "What's all the trouble, Mr. Starbuckle?"

Donna and the man swung their eyes towards the ears of the ship. Marching over was the black-haired man Donna had noticed. To her surprise, he only had one hand. His left hand had been replaced with a shiny, metal hook.

Donna gulped. This man seemed to match the description Luke had given her. Could he be… the pirate captain? He sure resembled a pirate… at least, as far as she could tell.

"Captain!" the man said as he rose to attention. "This lass boarded the shop without permission."

The captain grinned when he saw Donna. "She does not look like your average wench, does she?"

Donna crossed her arms and glowered at the two men. "You're all so _**rude**_!" she snapped. "I _have_ a name, and I am _**not**_ telling either of you what it is!"

The captain stared for a moment before he calmly (and slowly) approached the older teenage girl. "I do not mean you any harm," he assured. "The name's Jones — _Captain_ Jones. You can call me 'Killian'."

Donna gave a nervous smile. One more look at Killian's hook was more than enough to convince her he was the pirate captain she had been searching for. After all, how many other pirate captain were there with a hook for a hand? True, she _had_ noticed a number of sailors on her way to this ship who had eye-patches, tattoos, and wooden legs… yet, no one else had possessed a hook for a hand.

"I am Donna," she said, feeling a little more confident. "My friend, Luke, told me about you."

Killian looked a little bit surprised, even though he barely showed it. "Luke… yes, I remember him. He's the Huntsman who always cries over his kills. He was an annoying passenger."

Donna's arms flew to her sides. "He's _my_ fiancé."

Killian stepped back a little. "Easy, love. I understand."

He started to stroll to the rear of the ship. "Let her on board," he told the burly man. The latter nodded and gestured to allow Donna on board. The young woman glanced back. Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, Eeyore, Gopher, Kanga, Roo, Kessie, and Lumpy were all hiding in a stack of wooden crates the crew was carrying on board. She smiled as she watched them get stowed on deck.

Killian stopped at the rear of the ship and turned to Donna. "So, Donna, how may I be of service?"

Donna seldom signaled for her friends to come marching over. Pooh and the others appeared from their hiding places and rushed over to her. The other crew members nearly jumped in complete alarm when they saw the living stuffed animals dashing on past. The tall, burly man from the gangway leaped onto the main mast, his eyes wide with shock.

Killian grinned when he saw the group gathering around Donna. "I take it they're yours," he surmised.

Donna gave a quick nod. "These are my friends. I was told you knew where to find a certain 'sorcerer' with the power to keep them safe and with me."

"And you want to ask this sorcerer because…. "

"…He has the power to grant any request. Luke told me."

Killian whirled his focus to the distant horizon. "I can help you, as long as you help me, love."

Donna now looked perplexed. "Help you? With what?"

"I've been sailing these waters for longer than you've been alive," Killian explained as he peered through a rusty spyglass. "But I need a compass to point to where I wish to go next."

"Where?"

"It's a magical island located somewhere high above. The only way there is to find a magical compass."

Donna was feeling a little more confused. She was about to ask why Killian needed the compass, but the latter beat her to it.

"I helps you find what you want most, love," he explained. "That's why I need it."

Donna gave a nod. "Alright. I'll help you find this 'magical compass' if you help me find the 'sorcerer'."

Killian nodded. "Agreed. The deal has been made," he turned towards the rest of the ship. "Mr. Smee!"

The man with the red hat came hurrying over. "Aye, Captain?"

"Set a course for the _Lost Lagoon_ ," Killian ordered. He unfurled a faded map and held it in both hands. He pointed his hook at a small island near a continent labelled " _ **ARENDELLE**_ ". One look at the map and Donna wondered how the captain had obtained such an old parchment. One slight scrape along it could probably had torn a gaping hole in the middle.

Mr. Smee gasped a little when he heard this. "But Captain, that island is cursed! They saw the Maze is kept there!"

Killian grinned at his first mate. "Smee, you worry too much."

"No disrespect, captain, but maybe you worry too little."

This seemed to make Killian grin all the more. It also made Donna roll her eyes and shake her head. It did appear the pirate captain was completely courageous. Nothing seemed to bother him. The sight of Pooh and the other stuffed animals did not frighten him. Nor did the idea of going to a supposedly cursed island. She wondered how _anyone_ could be this brave.

"Let's get underway," Killian told Mr. Smee.

Mr. Smee gulped before agreeing. He hurried across the deck, relaying the order onward. He blew a whistle a few times to get everyone's undivided attention.

"We'll be on our way shortly, Donna," Killian told the golden-haired girl beside him. "You and your friends can ride out the voyage in my cabin."

Donna gave a slow shake of her head. "Sorry, but I don't want to get in your way."

Killian gave a nod in return. "That's alright, love," he said.

Deep down, Donna was questioning the captain's thoughts.

* * *

 _It had been less than a day since Donna had taken Pooh and the others to their new home in the forest. The sun had set. Donna had gone home. Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, and Eeyore were gathered around a small campfire in a clearing._

" _It sure is spooky around here," Tigger mentioned. "Maybe there are Heffalumps and Woozles waiting around us."_

 _Rabbit shook his head. "There're no such things."_

" _How do you know, bunny-boy?" Tigger inquired._

" _Because… I just do."_

 _Tigger's arms flew to his sides. "That doesn't sound very con-vit-ter-rating!"_

 _The two continued to disagree in rather loud voices. Pooh, Piglet, and Eeyore all exchanged looks of question. They wondered how long it would be before the pair's heated argument was finally subsided._

 _A small gathering of clouds above drew Eeyore's attention. "Looks like rain," he muttered aloud._

 _Everyone else shifted their gaze into the sky. Sure enough, the dark clouds had filled the entire expanse above. Small drops of rain were starting to descend to the ground._

 _Kanga came hopping over. "Everyone!" she called. "Follow me!"_

 _The group tailed her rather quickly. As they hurried along, a flash of lightning lit up the woods. A deafening clap of thunder soon followed. It did not take long for them all to reach a hand-crafted shelter in the middle of a hollow tree. Everyone rushed inside the tree. Owl, Gopher, Kessie, Lumpy, and Roo were already gathered there. Once inside, Pooh and the others stepped away from the entrance._

 _Within a matter of seconds, the rain outside became a heavy downpour. From the looks of things, it would be lasting a very, very, very, very long time._

" _I m-miss Donna," Piglet wept._

" _Me, too," Pooh approved. Everyone else gave nods of agreement._

* * *

The hours seemed to drag on. The farther out to sea they went, the slower everything seemed to get. Donna found herself drifting off to sleep against the solid wood railing on the ship's stern. Beside her, she could hear Killian giving orders to Mr. Smee, who in turn was relaying these same orders on.

The sea air felt comfortable. It was neither too salty, nor too wet. Clearly, this meant the weather was good. In fact, Donna saw clear skies the entire voyage. At one spot, Killian pointed out the distant sunset. Donna and her friends watched as the glorious light of day sank from view. Pooh smiled as he leaned on the railing to watch. Roo hopped into Kanga's pouch and took a nap. Lumpy laid down to rest his eyes. Piglet and Tigger remained awake. Rabbit and Eeyore were sitting down, waiting for the end of the trip. Owl and Kessie were firmly perched upon the upper masts, being careful not to topple over as the ship tilted slightly from side to side.

By the time nightfall had completely shrouded the ship, Donna had helped Mr. Smee light some lanterns along the ship's deck. At once, a sailor shouted, "Land Ho!"

Donna and Mr. Smee both hurried to the ship's helm. Killian was peering out to sea using his spyglass. He gazed to the ship's starboard side. "Aye, mates, there it is!"

Donna peered out across the dark sea. "Where?"

Killian handed her his spyglass and pointed towards a rather large shape nearby. "That way, love."

Donna's eyes lit up when she saw the enormous island off to the right of the ship. In the middle of the isle was a towering mountain made from granite. A number of palm trees had grown in groves across the island. In the middle of the jungle was a flickering, tiny light.

"Wow!" she remarked. "Is that the _Lost Lagoon_?"

"Sure is," Killian answered. "King Midas's half-human, half-monster son is said to be living in a giant maze there."

Donna's ears perked up when she heard this. She lowered the spyglass. "What? What are you talking about?"

Killian grinned and gave a slight laugh. "It's only a myth. They say the gods were jealous of King Midas and placed a curse on his wife, causing her to have a son who was half-monster. They put him in the maze to keep him hidden."

The golden-haired girl had to roll her eyes. "Mythology was always my sister's thing. I never got into it."

"Well, love," Killian went on. "I hope you're ready to do some tracking. The compass is supposed to be on that island."

Donna gave a nod. "Okay, I'll hold up my end of the deal — as long as you hold up yours."

Killian held out his arms. "Do I look like a man who would break his word?"

"Yes," Donna quickly nodded. "That's the reputation all pirates have. I'm not going ashore by myself. _You_ need to come along to help guide me. You have a map, don't you?"

Killian shook his head slightly. "You have me all figured out, love. But I _am_ a man of my word. I'll come along, just to prove it."

Donna nodded and signaled to her friends. As she had requested earlier (when Killian was too busy drinking his… whatever it was), Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, Eeyore, and Kessie came hurrying over. Owl accompanied them. "They're coming with me," she told Killian.

"Not me," Owl shook his head. "My eyes aren't what they used to be. Too much reading, you know. I'm here to see you all off."

"I feel n-n-nervous," Piglet shyly said.

Pooh comforted the very, very tiny animal. "Aw… poor Piglet."

"There ain't nothin' a Tigger can't handle," Tigger boasted.

"And I'm smarter than I thought," Rabbit declared with pride. He leaned against Killian's leg. "Pretty smart, eh?"

"And I can fly forever!" Kessie cheered in a rather high-pitched voice.

"We had it inside all along," Eeyore sighed.

Killian grinned some more. He pointed to the nearby, dangling longboat. "Mr. Smee, set sail for the island. We won't be needing the longboat."

Mr. Smee seemed to salute. "Aye, captain!"

He rushed around to relay the order onward. After watching the first mate hurry off, Donna turned to Killian, a look of doubt written on her face. "What are you doing?"

"We'll disembark close to the shore," Killian informed her. "I don't intend to get these clothes all wet unless it rains."

Donna gave another roll of her eyes. "Okay…. "

The ship headed for the shore. As they entered the massive lagoon, Donna peered over the railing. She could see nothing except inky water down below. The shoreline she saw looked like ridges rather than flat pieces of land. In fact, the whole island seemed to be mainly made of steep inclines.

It took less than five minutes for the ship to slow down and stop beside the sandy beach, the only spot Donna had noticed was actually flat land. At Killian's order, the crew lowered the gangway. Donna watched as the captain marched off the ship, carrying a brass lantern. He gave Mr. Smee the order to "mind the ship" until he and Donna returned.

Donna, Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, Eeyore, and Kessie all followed Killian down to the beach. Once on the shore, Donna looked around. The island now appeared to be total wilderness. In fact, she could hear the occasional call of what seemed to be a fierce predator echoing through the night. The crescent moon above provided just enough light to make out the island's outline.

"This place sure is spooky," Rabbit mentioned.

"You ain't kiddin', long ears," Tigger approved.

"I feel s-s-sorta s-s-s-scared," Piglet whimpered.

"Relax," Donna told her friends. "As long as Killian is with us, nothing terrible will happen."

The group followed the pirate captain into the dense jungle. As they headed along the trail Killian was making with his sword, Donna noticed how odd the trees looked. None of it resembled the woods back home. The safety of her friends' forest… it seemed thousands of miles away now.

Killian finally stopped before a stone platform. "Here, love," he said to Donna.

Donna and the others took a few seconds to examine the platform. It seemed to be made from marble and had a wooden cover on top. A series of markings were located along its side. Behind it was a tall, blazing torch situated on top of a stone tower. The flames were a reddish color. The whole scene reminded Donna of a shrine of some kind.

"What is it?" Pooh asked.

"That's what I'd like to know," Donna agreed.

"The entrance to the maze," Killian revealed. He indicated the torch using his sword. "A warning beacon. It's used to warn sailors where this labyrinth lies."

Donna noticed a series of carvings alongside the side of the platform. Killian translated them one at a time. "' _Beware all you who enter here. Within lies the three trials of solitude. Beware the Minotaur who guards this maze. He will be your certain doom._ '"

Killian shook his head. "Nonsense."

He glanced to his right. Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Rabbit were huddled together against a startled Donna's feet. Kessie and Eeyore were plopped down on the ground close by. All of them were shaking with fear.

Donna shrugged. "I think you scared them."

Killian shook his head and asked Donna to help him open the wooden cover. Donna agreed. Standing on opposite sides of the platform, the two carefully slid the cover to one side. As it gradually was moved, the cover revealed a gaping hole in the middle of the platform. Inside, only darkness could be seen.

Donna anxiously gulped. She eyed Killian. "It looks like the maze is real. You sure it's empty?"

"Trust me, Donna," Killian stated. "That's just a crazy myth. There's nothing down there."

Donna glanced at her friends. The thought of going into this darkened passage worried her more than anything. Well… anything except not being with her friends forever. Which meant more to her? Keeping her life? Or trying to keep her friends?

She threw her hands into the air. "Okay, but this better not be a trap of yours."

Killian grinned. "I have nothing to do with this maze's layout."

He handed her the lantern. "Be careful, love. I'll keep an eye on your friends."

Donna gave him a nod. "Don't worry!" she reassured everyone. "I'll be back before you can say… something like… the name, 'Emma Swan'!"

She stepped onto the platform's edge. She held the lantern over it. To her relief, only a patch of sandy dirt about twelve feet down could be seen. Spotting a thick vine wrapped along the side of the wall, a little light-bulb flipped on in her head. She grabbed it and slid down into the passage down below. Holding up the lantern, Donna peered into the distance. Up ahead, she could see what appeared to be a distant stone wall. With a deep breath, she started down the corridor.

Killian watched her head into the passage and out of sight. He paused for a minute to think about what Donna had said. "'Emma Swan'," he murmured to himself. "What a strange name. Who would name themselves _that_?"

He grinned. "It sure sounds nice."

* * *

 _Donna stepped into the forest very early the next morning. Well, she did not walk. After the storm the night before, she was concerned something terrible had happened to her friends. She was dashing as fast as she could._

 _After leaping over a few fallen trees and a number of broken branches lying in the path, Donna finally got to the clearing where she had last left her friends. To her alarm, they were nowhere in sight._

" **Pooh** _!" she yelled as loudly as she could. "_ _ **Piglet**_ _!_ _ **Tigger**_ _!_ _ **Rabbit**_ _!_ _ **Eeyore**_ _!_ _ **Owl**_ _!_ _ **Gopher**_ _!_ _ **Kanga**_ _!_ _ **Roo**_ _!_ _ **Kessie**_ _!_ _ **Lumpy**_ _!"_

 _There was no answer. Even waiting a few minutes seemed hopeless. Donna found herself falling to the ground in tears. At once, she saw the shadow of an animal stretching out before her eyes. Not just any animal, it resembled a teddy bear._

 _She immediately swung her eyes up. To her relief, there was Pooh. Piglet, Tigger, and the others were all gathered behind him. "Donna," a perplexed Pooh said. "Were you crying for us?"_

 _Donna's eyes nearly burst with joy. She squeezed her friends in with one, giant group hug. "I was so worried!"_

 _It took a few seconds to break free from the girl's rather strong grip. It took a few more minutes for Pooh and the others to explain what had happened. Donna paused, a little uncertain about what to do. During times like these, she knew there was someone who would be willing to listen to her._

 _Her father — Christopher Robin._

 _She stood up and told Pooh and the others she would be straight back. Since there was no sign of rain or any more storms at the moment, the living stuffed animals agreed._

* * *

Donna had been down in the maze for almost twenty minutes. She had zigzagged her way through a series of passages and had come across a few dead ends. With a sigh, she had backtracked and tried other possible routes. Each time, the maze seemed to have grown.

At one point, she stepped on something that clattered a little. Looking down, her heart skipped five beats in an instant. It was the skeletal remains of what appeared to be a human. "This is too spooky," she muttered to herself.

She started to wonder how much truth there was to the myth. In fact, it now seemed to be true. "Hello?" she called into the darkness. Her voice echoed about the underground labyrinth. There was no response. Donna gulped before continuing on her way. The lantern's beam seemed to be shrinking a little more with each step she took down the tunnel.

Finally, after trying a multitude of directions, she came across a solid wall labelled by a series of text and the drawing of someone with a lance of some kind. She paused for a minute to read what it stated. "' _Beware all who reach this point. Beyond lies the three trials. Not for the faint of heart._ '"

Donna rolled her eyes. "Obviously. _Anyone_ who can't handle being in this place _**shouldn't**_ come in."

She noticed a reddish handprint on the wall. Certain this meant it had been pressed, she put her right hand against the wall and pushed on it. In a flash, the wall leaned over and fell. To Donna's surprise, a passage illuminated by flaming torches could be seen. She set down the lantern and proceeded ahead.

She did not go far. Less than five feet from the fallen wall, she spotted a faint marker on the ground. She stopped for a moment. "What's this?" she inquired.

As she reached her hand out across the line, a loud _**ZIP**_ could be heard as something rushed on by. Donna jerked her hand back in a hurry. She swung her head to the right. A razor-sharp spear was stuck into the far wall. She gulped.

That was when she remembered how she had encouraged her friends to stay in the forest after their first thunderstorm. She took a deep breath and felt more confident. "I understand," she told herself.

She marched down the corridor at a steady pace. Directly behind, a series of spears with sharp points flew into the far wall. Fortunately, none of them hit her. She nodded with relief when she passed a second marker on the ground. "'Braver than you believe'," she told herself.

Donna proceeded down the corridor. Up next, she came across a stone tower. She looked straight up, noting how it reached up to the ceiling, yet it was not connected. She looked around it. She stared in alarm. There was a deep gap in the ground between the tower and the other side. She carefully peered in. She could not see the bottom of it. Scooping up a nearby piece of rock, she dropped it into the gap. It felt into the darkness. She listened for a few minutes, easily. No sound came from the pit.

She gulped, realizing what this meant.

"Okay, okay," Donna told herself. "Everything will be alright."

Her focus went back to the tower. She walked up to it and placed her hands firmly on the side. With all her might, she shoved against it. The tower barely moved. Donna pressed more and more. Drops of sweat started to flow from her forehead. The tower suddenly toppled over. The peak of it landed on the other side of the gap, providing a bridge across it.

"'Stronger than you seem," Donna told herself. She smiled, knowing she was another step closer to reaching her objective.

She continued on down the corridor. Before long, she reached a pair of tunnels, one on the left and the other on the right. She looked around the passage for a possible clue. To her amazement, a series of giant footprints led to the right. An arrow led to the left.

"'Smarter than you seem'," Donna told herself.

She headed down the passage leading to the left. Less than twenty feet into it, the tunnel veered to the left and led to a small chamber. Inside, Donna found a series of text sketched into the wall above a wooden box. She squinted in the dim light the flickering torches provided.

"' _Victor of the trials, you have succeeded. You are braver, stronger, and smarter than any who came before you. Your reward lies in the box below._ '"

Donna smiled brightly. She marched up to the box and opened the lid. To her marvel, a reddish box with a bluish, glass-sealed interior was inside. A yellow and white needle was in it. Her eyes lit up.

"The _**compass**_!" she declared with zeal.

No sooner had her shout echoed about the passage did Donna's ears catch a loud roaring sound. She turned around. Seeing how there was nothing in sight, she shrugged and started to head out of the tunnel.

It was not until she was back at the bridge that Donna heard some loud footsteps coming from behind. She froze and turned around. To her alarm, an enormous creature was standing there. It had brown fur, bull-shaped horns, and a bull-resembling face. Its hands and feet were just like a human, only with claws attached. The creature growled as its blood-red eyes glared at the young woman before it.

Donna nearly jumped backwards into the gap behind her. " _ **The**_ _ **Minotaur**_!" she screamed.

The Minotaur reached out its arms and tried to grab her. In one swift move, Donna hopped out of the way. She raced across the bridge, the compass still in hand. As the Minotaur charged across it, the tower cracked and descended into the darkness. Just before it finished falling in, the Minotaur leaped into the air and landed onto the other side of the tunnel.

Donna's feet slid to a halt. The Minotaur was now standing directly in her way. She swept her eyes across the passage, searching for a way through. Taking note of a space between the monster's legs, Donna ran ahead and leaned back as she slid beneath the Minotaur; the creature tried to swipe at her, only to miss again.

Donna proceeded down the passage beyond. Forgetting the lantern, she hurried down the passage. When she heard the Minotaur's footsteps following behind, she glanced back. The Minotaur roared as it charged out of the passage. One of the creature's legs stomped onto the lantern, crushing it in a flash. The crumpled object was now stuck onto the Minotaur's foot.

Donna charged down the passage and through the darkness. It did not take long for her to realize she was now wandering underground, in total darkness, being chased by a monster who probably could see in the dark.

' _Yikes! How will I make it out of here?!_ ' she worried.

Donna's eyes landed onto something bright. To her amazement, the compass was glowing a bluish light. The needle was pointing straight ahead. When she came across a wall, the needle turned to the left. Recalling how Killian had said the compass would point its owner to whatever they wanted most, she headed left.

The only thing she wanted now was to get out of this maze.

* * *

 _Only a few minutes had passed since she had left the forest. Nevertheless, Donna was finally home. She had spent most of her journey running. When she had gotten close, she had taken a few more minutes to look for her father. She had located him out back._

 _When she found him, he was busy chopping wood for the fireplace. She knew why. The storm had knocked down so many trees, there was plenty of dead wood for him to cut up. He could then either sell it, or he could use it on the fire._

 _Donna approached her father. She caught a glimpse of her sister, Goldilocks, sitting on a wooden stool closer to the house. She was busy reading her favorite book, "_ **The Tales of Aphrodite: Goddess of Love** _". Donna had to shake her head._

 _After all, Goldilocks had read that book so much, she was starting to believe Aphrodite was a real person. In fact, she wanted to meet the mythological goddess. Of course, that was impossible. The story was fictional. …Or was it?_

 _Donna shoved the contemplation aside. She needed to stay focused on asking her father for advice._

 _Christopher Robin looked up when he saw his youngest daughter approaching. He smiled at her. "Hello, Donna. Can I help you with anything?"_

" _Yes," Donna confirmed with a nod. "You see… I have this friend who was scared about last night's storm. I don't know how to cheer her up… or help her not to be scared."_

 _Just by gazing into Donna's eyes, Christopher Robin could tell she was being serious. It was not a hypothetical question. "I know it can be hard not to be afraid of something like a thunderstorm," he told her. "I used to be afraid of them, too."_

 _Donna's ears perked up. Her father had been afraid of storms as a child? That was something she had not expected._

" _My father — your grandfather — told me all I had to do was remember," Christopher Robin said._

" _Remember what?" Donna inquired._

" _Tell your friend," Christopher Robin responded. "She's braver than she believes, and stronger than she believes, and smarter than she thinks."_

 _Donna paused to think. She had the feeling this advice could certainly help Pooh and the other stuffed animals. She had to tell them. At least, she could give it a try._

" _Thank you, Dad," she told her father. "I'll do that now."_

 _She waved goodbye as she rushed off. Christopher Robin waved farewell as his daughter headed for the flowery field on her way to the forest. Knowing how his two children loved to play in those woods, he had to grin._

 _Goldilocks glanced up when Donna raced by. She still had the feeling her sister had gotten mixed up in magic in some way or another. Whatever the case, she knew, things being what they were, Donna would one day have to pay the price for it. Maybe their father would be the one to pay._

 _Unless, of course, Goldilocks could get him to forget all about Donna. She needed to find a possible way. Maybe she should experiment with that dark fairy dust a little more?_

 _She softly closed her book and headed back inside._

* * *

Less than two minutes had passed since Donna had headed into the darkness with the compass in hand. She could still hear the Minotaur giving chase from behind. The clanking of the broken lantern on the creature's foot gave him away. She glanced back for a moment, noticing the Minotaur's glowing, red eyes in the darkness.

At long last, a patch of moonlight came into view. Her heart was racing. Her breath was coming out in short gasps. Her arms and legs felt heavy. It felt like she was about to collapse from exhaustion.

The long vine was still there. Donna ran up to it and grasped the plant. The Minotaur came roaring up behind. With the last of her strength, Donna pulled herself up the vine. The Minotaur slashed at the plant, slicing it across the middle. The lower half fell to the ground. Donna clung on to the upper half as it started to dangle like a swing.

A tear up above caught her eye. Yikes! The vine was breaking. She had to clamber on up as fast as she could.

Using what little energy she still had, Donna swung herself to the right. The vine continued to crack apart as she grew closer and closer to the edge of the entrance above. The vine finally snapped clean off. At the same time, Donna grasped the edge of the opening.

A hand grabbed her right arm. She looked up and saw Killian trying to pull her up. "Hold on, love!"

Donna was not about to let go. The Minotaur was directly below her. Her other hand started to slip. Just before she lost her grip, Pooh hurried over and grabbed her, alongside Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, Eeyore, and Kessie. Working together with the captain, the group was able to pull Donna out of the opening.

Once she was on the other side, Tigger and Rabbit slammed the cover back on, sealing up the passage once and for all. The Minotaur gave one last deafening _**ROAR**_ before he was locked inside. Rabbit and Tigger slouched to the ground beside each other. They slowly caught their breath.

"Phew!" Rabbit sighed. "That was close!"

"You're tellin' me," Tigger agreed.

Pooh, Piglet, and Killian were gathered around the worn out Donna. Eeyore and Kessie approached them. When they saw the others, Rabbit and Tigger came over.

Donna sat down in the grass, trying to catch her breath. She panted and wheezed several times. Killian looked down at her. "Are you alright, love?"

The golden-haired girl shifted her gaze to the pirate captain. She could see the concern written in his eyes. She gave a nod. "Yes," she said at last. "But next time, make sure the myth isn't true before you put someone else in serious danger."

Killian gave a nod. "No one's been in that maze for years. I never believed it was true. That Minotaur gave me a jump when I saw him coming after you."

He clenched his right hand into a fist. "Just like what the Crocodile did to my Milah…. "

Donna looked puzzled. "Who?"

Killian shook his head. "Despite all that danger, were you able to find the compass?"

Donna held up the glowing item. "I hope this was worth it."

A grin formed across Killian's face. "Yes, love."

He speedily took the compass from Donna's hand. "And, being a man of my word, I'll direct you to the man you're looking for."

Donna stood up, having caught her breath. She was taken by surprise. "What? You're not going to just leave me here?"

"That would be bad form. Not to mention, it would be in very bad taste."

Donna smiled with relief. "You're not like the pirates you read about in stories. You're a man of honor. That's something everyone should have."

Killian grinned brighter. He then looked up into the sky where the moon was starting to set. "It'll be another twelve hours before dawn. We can make it back to port by then if we leave now."

Killian started for the jungle.

"Killian," Donna said.

The pirate captain stopped and looked back. Donna smiled. "Thank you."

Killian grinned brighter than ever. "Sure, lo— Donna."

This made Donna smile all the more. She gestured to Pooh and the others to follow. They all trudged through the jungle back to the waiting ship.

* * *

 _Donna was back in the forest clearing within five minutes. She took a few more seconds to catch her breath once she had found Pooh and the others. They were still gathered where she had last left them._

" _What did you find out?" Gopher inquired._

" _Was it easy to find?" Lumpy asked._

" _Was it_ _ **Tiggerific**_ _?!" Tigger declared._

 _Donna finally caught her breath. "I know what you need to."_

 _She turned to Piglet. "Piglet, if another storm comes along, promise me… you'll be braver than you believe."_

 _Piglet nodded. "I-I-I promise."_

 _Donna then focused her attention on Tigger. "Tigger, please remember… if anyone's in trouble, you'll be stronger than you seem."_

 _Tigger saluted. "You can count on me, Donna!"_

 _Donna then shifted her focus to Rabbit. "Rabbit," she said after a brief moment. "Please try your hardest to be smarter than you think."_

 _Rabbit was a tad confused, but agreed._

 _Donna turned to everyone else. "All of you need to remember those three things. They can help you in any situation. Please, promise me you will all be_ _ **braver**_ _than you believe,_ _ **stronger**_ _than you seem, and_ _ **smarter**_ _than you think."_

 _Owl, Eeyore, Gopher, Roo, Kanga, Lumpy, and Kessie all nodded. Instead of nodding, Pooh gave Donna a hug. The sensation of having her favorite member of this group embracing her made the golden-haired girl smile. A few tears started to fall from her eyes. They might have stained her new pink dress, except she did not notice._

* * *

The rising sun's colors sparkled beautifully against the horizon. The ocean seemed to be lit up as the light bounced along the water's surface. A small group of seagulls could be seen holding a miniature squawking competition in the distance.

A gentle wind picked up quickly. Donna's hair started to drift a little before her eyes. She looked up to see the ship's sails filled to capacity.

"At this rate, we'll be at port within the hour," Killian said from where he stood beside the helm. Mr. Smee was the one in charge of the ship's steering mechanism.

Donna glanced at him, a smile showing on her face. She knew she would find the sorcerer she was searching for in no time thanks to this very pirate captain's help. She sure she could trust. After all, he _was_ a man of honor.

Just as Killian had said, the ship reached the port in less than an hour. In fact, it had only taken about half that time to get to their destination. Upon arrival, the crew tossed a series of ropes to the people working on the dockside. Killian gave the order to lower the gangway once the ship was close enough to the docks.

Donna and her friends stood at the top of the wooden gangway. She turned to Killian, who happened to be standing directly beside her. "Thank you," she said, giving him a sudden hug.

Killian had to shake his head slowly while he grinned. "Now, Donna," he instructed once the teenager had released her embrace. "The man you're looking for is named 'Rumplestiltskin'. Personally, I do not recommend him, but if you're desperate enough, he's your best choice."

Donna was puzzled. "Why not? Do you and he have a dispute going on?"

Killian threw his arms into the air on either side. "You could say that. Good luck on the rest of your journey."

Donna nodded at him. "You, too, Captain Hook."

With a salute, Donna headed down the gangway and hurried through the town. Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Gopher, Kanga, Roo, Kessie, and Lumpy were not far behind her. As he watched them leave, Killian's thoughts went back to what the golden-haired girl had said. "'Captain Hook'… I like that name," he chuckled to himself.

"Captain," Mr. Smee said from behind. "Those friends of hers… they were living stuffed animals."

Killian paused. Was what Mr. Smee claimed accurate? Were Donna's friends _really_ just talking, breathing, and energy-filled stuffed animals? His mind had now reached a point of total confusion. The very idea of seeing living stuffed animals did not make sense to him.

"Bloody heck," he muttered to himself. He reached into a pocket in his coat and pulled out a small canteen of rum. He gulped it down in a flash. He then turned to his first mate. "I'll be heading down below. Let me know once the _Jolly Roger_ 's restocked."

Mr. Smee saluted. "Aye, captain."

Killian headed down the stairs of the ship to the lower deck. He then turned to the left two times, forming a half-circle turn. He stopped before a doorway and calmly pushed it open. Inside, he strode up to a wooden table with a few dozen bottles of rum situated on and around it.

"…'Before you can say, 'Emma Swam''… living stuffed animals… I must be catching cabin fever — again."

Without another word, Killian sat down and opened another bottle of rum. Within the next few minutes, he had gulped down the next two and a half bottles.

* * *

 _That evening, Donna was seated on a fallen log at the top of a small knoll in the forest. Beside her was Pooh. The two were watching the distant sun set below the horizon. The stars were starting to come out behind them, although they could barely be seen._

 _Donna relaxed and leaned back a little. She fell backwards onto the ground. Pooh turned to look at her. He chuckled, so she smiled and laughed along. "You know, Pooh, there was one thing we haven't done before," she said._

" _What's that?" Pooh questioned._

" _Nothing," Donna smiled._

 _Pooh now looked mystified. "Donna, what exactly is doing 'nothing'?"_

 _Donna paused for a second, searching for a way to explain what she meant. "Well… it's what happens when you sit or stand around, listen to everything around you that isn't there, and don't do anything."_

 _Seeing how Pooh was still puzzled, the golden-haired girl decided she needed to provide an example. "It's what you say when someone asks, 'What are you two doing?' We say, 'Oh, nothing,' and then we do it. This is a little like a 'nothing' thing we're doing now."_

 _She sat up and looked out at the distant sunset. The sun's rays had now become a reddish color. Tomorrow would be another day. This day was about to end. She would have to head home soon. Donna sighed. "I wish it would last forever…. "_

 _Pooh grinned. "Then we shall do again tomorrow, and the tomorrow after, and the tomorrow after that."_

 _Donna shook her head as she sat back down on the log. "Pooh, one day, we won't be able to spend so much time together. We_ _ **might**_ _have to be apart, like last night."_

" _As long as we're apart_ _ **together**_ _," Pooh said. "We'll be fine. I'd be quite lost without you, Donna."_

 _Donna took a deep breath and smiled. "Pooh, if there one day was a time when we weren't together, if I were someplace else, all you have to do is remember what I said. 'You're_ _ **braver**_ _than you believe, and_ _ **stronger**_ _than you seem, and_ _ **smarter**_ _than you think'."_

" _That shouldn't be too hard," Pooh chuckled. "'We're braver than a bean, and longer than a tree, and taller than a goose, er… moose'."_

 _Donna gave a pleasant shake of her head and smiled. "No, you silly bear. 'You're_ _ **braver**_ _than you believe, and_ _ **stronger**_ _than you seem, and_ _ **smarter**_ _than you think'."_

 _Pooh nodded. "I know," he giggled._

 _Donna had to shake her head once more. She had to smile all the more. "Even if there was a time when we were apart," she said to Pooh. "Just know… I'll always be with you."_

 _Pooh was looking at the sunset now. The golden-haired girl was not sure if he had even been listening. She sighed and looked towards the sunset herself. "If I were to leave, I will come back — as long as_ _ **you're**_ _here, Pooh."_

 _She gazed at the stuffed animal. "Promise you will always stay here? Even when I turn one hundred?"_

 _Pooh paused to think. "How old will I be then?"_

 _Donna had to smile so much more. "Ninety-nine-and-a-half."_

 _Pooh grinned all the more. "I promise."_

 _The two shared a heartfelt embrace._

* * *

The port town was now a few miles behind them. Donna and her friends were now in a series of rolling hills. To their surprise, there was a fork in the road not too far down. Donna looked at a wooden sign positioned in the middle. To her alarm, it was all scratched off. None of the words could be made out. She looked to the right and the left.

The road to the right led into a patch of forest shrouded in mist and a few distant mountains. The one to the left led to a patch of flowers and the still-rising sun.

She sighed. "We're getting nowhere like this."

The sound of many clocks ticking caught her attention. Tigger pointed towards a nearby handcart. "Topeka!" he shouted.

Donna gazed at the cart. It was covered completely by several clocks of various shapes and colors. The large man pushing it had neatly-combed black hair, a nicely-trimmed mustache, and a monocle over his left eye. A small, hand-drawn name tag on his vest read " _COGSWORTH: Clock-Repair_ ".

"Excuse me," Donna said as she strode over.

The man shifted his gaze to her. "Yes?"

"Do you know where I can find someone named 'Rumplestiltskin'?"

The man looked very anxious. He pointed to the dark forest. "His castle's right through there. You'd better be careful. The forest might be full of wolves. Be careful, child."

Donna gave a nod. "I will."

The man continued on his merry way. As he disappeared over the next hill, Donna swung her eyesight back to the mist-covered forest. It now looked much darker than she had first anticipated.

Of course, if the man named "Rumplestiltskin" truly _was_ down that way, she needed to go there — and fast!

"Let's keep going," Donna told her friends.

They all headed into the woods, holding hands with each other. With a deep breath, Donna remembered her encounter with the Minotaur back in the maze. If she could survive that, anything in these woods would be no problem for her.

She was too confident for that.

* * *

The forest did not last very long. Before the group could have counted to ten, they were on the other side. Donna glanced back, surprised to see the forest had simply been a tunnel shrouded in mist. It was not so spooky after all. It only looked that way.

Donna gazed straight ahead. At the top of a high hill was a large castle. No flags flew atop its peaks. She knew this meant whoever lived there did not have a banner of their own. Apparently, they lacked a kingdom of their own.

"That must be it," Donna decided.

She gestured for everyone to follow. Pooh and the others trailed the seventeen-year-old girl down the road up to the castle. When they reached the entrance, Donna grasped one of the iron rings beside the wooden door and banged it against the wall.

"Come in!" a voice called from inside.

Donna glanced at her friends. Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and the others all nodded. She smiled at them. She pushed against the door, shoving it open.

Inside, the castle's interior caught their eyes. The entrance hall was very lavish and decorated with rather nice furniture. Paintings that appeared to be worth a fortune were hanging on the walls nice and neat. A few dullish banners were dangling on the sides of the room.

"Wow," Donna awed in marvel.

"I'm over here, dearie," the voice said.

Donna and her friends looked to their right. Seated at a long, wooden table in the middle of the room was what seemed to be a rather old man. He had messy, brown hair, crooked teeth, and brown eyes. He looked very creepy and had a peculiar-looking grin written on his face.

Donna mustered her courage despite how much this man resembled a monster she'd once read about in a book. "Are you a sorcerer?" she asked.

The man's grin grew. "Why, yes, I am," he approved. He rose from the table and stepped over to the young woman. Donna nearly stepped back as the man bowed very politely before her. "Rumplestiltskin."

Donna gave a nod. She took a few moments to introduce each of her friends. Rumplestiltskin took notice of each and every member of the group. He turned his eyes back to the golden-headed young woman. "Let me guess," he announced. "You seek a way to keep them all with you."

Donna's eyes lit up. "Yes… but, how did _you_ know?"

"I am not just any wizard," Rumplestiltskin informed her. "I can see the future. And I have the just the thing to fulfill your wish."

Rumplestiltskin stepped up to a nearby bookshelf and shoved a few trinkets aside. One or two of them fell to the floor; one of them shattered into two pieces. He stopped and grinned all the more. "Found it."

He pulled a book with an orange binding off the shelf. He approached Donna and held it out for her. "Here you are, dearie."

Donna took the book and looked at it. The cover was blank. A small hinge on the right side kept it locked shut like a diary lock. To her, it seemed to be just an ordinary book. "What should I do with this?" she questioned.

"Open it," Rumplestiltskin explained. "And your friends will always be with you — as long as you keep that tome with you. But, remember, all magic comes—"

Before Rumplestiltskin could finish his line, Donna clicked open the lock and flipped the book open. She showed it to Pooh and the others. They all peered inside the blank pages.

"It's white," Pooh observed.

"W-w-why is it empty?" Piglet asked.

Tigger stared at the black pages. "I wonder…?"

Rabbit shook his head and folded his arms. "It's just a book."

"I have _lots_ of books in my memory," Owl declared.

"We'll be here for a while," Eeyore sighed as he laid down for a nap.

Gopher placed his hand on his chin. "Hmm…. "

"If you ask me," Kanga spoke up. "It needs some… "

"…Pictures," Roo finished.

"I thought it needed some words," Lumpy indicated.

Kessie stared at it. A tiny light formed inside the space between the pages. She pointed her blue wing at it. "What's that?"

Pooh and the others are whirled their attention to the growing light. Within seconds, the light had transformed into a bright glow. The glow grew past the book's pages and flashed in the room. Donna slammed her eyes shut as it increased to what could have been perceived as a little sister to the sun's light.

When she looked again, Donna's eyes grew in alarm. Her mouth fell open. The book fell to the floor from her hands. She swung her eyes this way and that. "Pooh? _Piglet_? _**Tigger**_?! _**Kessie**_! _**Rabbit**_! _**Owl**_! _**Gopher**_! _**Kanga**_! _**Roo**_! _**Lumpy**_! _**Eeyore**_! **Where are you all?!** "

The living stuffed animals had all seemingly vanished from the room. Donna's eyes now landed onto the book located on the floor. She scooped it up. A title had appeared on the cover.

 **WINNIE-THE-POOH**

Donna gasped in complete alarm. Her friends had probably been sucked into the book. She looked at Rumplestiltskin, her face transitioning into a snarl. She clenched her teeth tightly.

"You _**stupidhead**_! You _**tricked**_ me!" she stated in a very firm voice.

Rumplestiltskin tilted his head slightly to the left. "I tried to warn you — all magic comes with a price. This is your doing. Only you can undo it."

Donna refused to accept a thing Rumplestiltskin was saying. No way! She was _**not**_ responsible for this! That idiotic sorcerer — he was to blame. He had not warned her about the price of magic… and she had not listened long enough.

Luke, Killian, and Rumplestiltskin had all tried to warn her something like this might happen. Yet, now it was too late. Her friends had been magically transported into the book in her hands. She had to do _something_! She was not about to lose her friends like this. She had to set them free. But… how?

Her eyes landed upon Rumplestiltskin. "Bring them _back_!" she stated.

Rumplestiltskin's grin faded. "You sure you want that? That kind of magic can be a little… unpredictable."

Donna forced the book into the man's hands. " _ **Do it**_!" she demanded. Her scowling face and clenched fists seemed ready to make the brown-haired man her personal punching bag.

Rumplestiltskin gazed at the teenager. "As you wish," he told her.

He opened the book. He waved his hand across the now-written pages. Another bright light flashed from within. A patch of light turned into what appeared to be a gigantic hand. As it reached across the room, Donna realized it was headed her way. She turned and tried to run out of the room. The hand grabbed her as she started to dash away. The squirming young woman tried to break free, but it was in vain.

She glowered at Rumplestiltskin. "One day, I will get you for this!" she hollered.

"Remember what I said," Rumplestiltskin told her. "All magic comes with a price."

Donna's eyes filled with the realization once more. She knew what Rumplestiltskin had said was true. Before she could react, the hand pulled her into the book's pages. As she disappeared inside, the glow vanished.

Now alone in the room, Rumplestiltskin casually slammed the book closed and locked it. It was then he heard footsteps coming from the next room. In stepped a young, brown-haired woman with blue eyes. She was decked out in a blue dress with a white shirt showing from underneath. Her black shoes could barely be seen underneath her skirt.

"Rumple," she said, looking around this way and that. "Was someone here?"

Rumplestiltskin shook his head. "No, no one came. Belle, take this book to the library."

Belle strolled up to the brown-haired man. She took the book from his hands and proceeded back the way she came. She started upstairs. As she continued along, she took a look at the cover. The title looked completely unfamiliar to her.

She shook her head and proceeded to put the book on an empty shelf in the library Rumplestiltskin had given her not too long before. She left it there and went back to her dusting.

She had never noticed the book's magical glow….

* * *

 **A/N: YIKES! What a sudden turn-of-events! I Hope Donna and the others are alright. Being trapped in a book... will they ever get out? It does not help knowing Rumplestiltskin is the one who trapped them in there...**

 **That is where Chapter 3 comes into play. Now that the Prologue is over, The MAIN STORY will start with Chapter 3.**

 **For the record, I Hope I kept Killian Jones/"Captain Hook" in character enough for you. I had a tricky time trying to picture his voice in my head while writing a few of the scenes in there. He may be one of my favorite characters in " _Once Upon A Time_ ", yet that does not mean it is going to be easy to write the way he speaks.**  
 **Please let me know if anyone feels out of character to you. Any and all constructive criticism will be appreciated - especially since this is my first " _Once Upon A Time_ " Story. My only request is you do not say anything so extreme, it could be considered cursing... or worse.**

 **By the way, the Minotaur really is a character from _Greek Mythology_. You would be surprised how many others do not know that.**

 **Also, the character " Cogsworth" appeared in there for a brief moment. Please keep him in mind - for a future story. He might return.**

 **Lastly, I would like to re-state that I might Not be able to write this story very rapidly - Especially in comparison to how swiftly I wrote " _Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams_ ". Besides, it has taken me a long time to write each Chapter for " _Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light_ ". I shall be trying my best to focus on these two separate stories - at the same time.**

 **So, here is a " Foreshadow"/"HINT" for the next Chapter! Why did I do this? The show does the same thing!**  
 **HINT: "AFTER FINDING SOMEONE TRAPPED IN A BOOK, HENRY TELLS THE EMMA AND THE OTHERS! HOWEVER, IN ORDER TO SET THEM FREE, THEY MAY NEED TO HELP OF SOMEONE THEY HAVE NEVER MET - SOMEONE WHO IS NOT IN STORYBROOKE, YET!"**  
 **FIND OUT IN CHAPTER THREE!**

 **I know, I had a Difficult Time trying to write that Hint. I did not want to include any spoilers, which is not easy, given the way I laid out This Story's Storyline.**

 **Of course, Please Do NOT Forget this [" Important"] reminder, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

 **To add to the fun, how amount a _Review Goal_? After all, there are currently No Reviews on This Story. Seeing as I planned on approximately _20 Chapters_... how does _50 REVIEWS_ sound? I think that would a goal we could reach, considering this story is just getting started and I have not written any of its sequels - yet. I have a whole saga in the planning. I would Really like to share them all with you.**

 **This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	4. Ch3 - The Magical Book

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE GENERAL PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

 **A/N: WELCOME BACK! CHAPTER 3 HAS NOW ARRIVED! THIS MEANS - THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE MAIN STORY IS HERE! YIPPEE!**

 **Like I stated before, I am including a "Previously... " segment on This Chapter.**  
 **" _PREVIOUSLY_... An Animal-talent fairy named  Fawn granted the wish of Christopher Robin's youngest daughter, Donna, wish to bring her stuffed animal friends to life. Seventeen years later, Donna asked for directions from Captain Killian Jones, who led her to Rumplestiltskin. Before Rumplestilskin could warn her about the price of magic, Donna and her animal friends (Winnie-The-Pooh and the others) were sucked into a magical storybook. Rumplestiltskin then asked Belle to place the book on the shelf in the castle's library!"**  
 **So, how was THAT for the reminder of what to remember for This Chapter? Please let me know in the Reviews!**

 **Plus, I am looking forward to the 2-Hour Finale of " _ONCE UPON A TIME -SEASON 5-_ " later tonight. I have a pretty good idea about what might happen in it. I will not tell any of you what I predict since it might end up being an indirect spoiler.**

 **For those of you who are looking forward to the next chapter of " _Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light_ ", Please Be Patient a little longer. Now that classes are officially over, I have more time to write, read, and do the many other things I like to do. I promise, another Chapter will be coming sometime during May - and I mean it.**

 **So, with that all taken care of, HERE IS CHAPTER THREE! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW ALIKE! PLEASE POST AT LEAST SEVEN REVIEWS OR I WILL HOLD BACK CHAPTER 4 FOR A MUCH LATER TIME! In other words, CHAPTER 4 WILL NOT BE POSTED UNTIL AT LEAST SEVEN REVIEWS HAVE BEEN POSTED ON THIS CHAPTER AND/OR CHAPTER(S) 0 TO 2!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 3  
** **The Magical Book**

 _ **(Fawn is shown flying through the air.)**_

Somewhere in the state of Maine was a town. Not just any town, but one located specifically alongside a vast forest. From a distance, any outsiders would believe it was to be a quaint, little place. In truth, there was something peculiar about it….

The architecture matched the designs of each and every other such location around it. It was small, but held a decent-sized population. Large forests surrounded it on three sides while the fourth was open to a small harbor. Lots of fishing boats and a few sailing ships were docked or anchored there.

One long, paved road led directly through the town. On either side was a building that happened to be home to either a business, facility, or apartments with one to ten occupants. A couple traffic lights were positioned at regular intervals throughout the town and an occasional car or two could be seen parked at different times of the day.

At one corner was a large building that had been boarded up for ages. The roof of this structure was peaked and a large clock-tower was visible on its roof. The clock's hands were positioned at about _**8:27 A.M.**_ Almost five years had passed since they had started moving again.

This was the town of **Storybrooke**. A magical place within a world without any _real_ magic. The town had been visited by lots of strange and bizarre characters over the last few years. A handful of powerful villains had tried to take over, and each one had been defeated before they could succeed.

This town had withstood the test of magical nature. Three very strong curses. An ice wall. The presence of an Olympian god. Giants. Portals. It now would have appeared nothing new could happen to it. After all, who would dare try to conquer a place where many others had been struck down trying to do the same?

At one particular spot was a small store labelled by a sign hanging above its entrance. " _ **GOLD'S PAWN SHOP**_ " was what it read. The writing had been changed about two years ago, shortly after Zelena had struck down Hades and saved Regina from certain death.

The front window was now tinted, making it hard to see what was going on inside. Yet, it was during this time when Henry and Belle were going through various items on the shelves in the office. All the various magical trinkets Rumplestiltskin had gathered over the years… Belle still wondered how he could have kept all of these with him for so long. She was also curious about what each of them could do.

One of the few she knew for sure was the gauntlet armor she had found lying on the floor. She recalled how this very piece of metal had originally come from the kingdom of _**Camelot**_. She knew how it worked, mainly since it had led her to Rumplestiltskin's dagger once.

It was designed to lead its wielder to someone else's weakness — what it is he/she loves most.

Henry picked up a glass swan from a nearby bookshelf. As he moved the trinket, a handful of books sudden fell from the shelf above. He stepped back a few feet as the books crashed onto the floor before him. He noticed the shelf above where the swan had been had suddenly collapsed.

Belle strode over. "Are you okay?" she inquired.

"Yeah," Henry nodded. "I'm fine."

Belle knelt down and started to scoop up the fallen books. As she did so, Henry's eye landed upon one particular book in the pile. It seemed to be glowing slightly. The title stood out to him.

 **WINNIE-THE-POOH**

"What's this book?" the young man asked aloud. He picked it up and held it up for Belle to see.

When the brown-haired young lady saw the cover, she stared in surprise. Henry took note of this and handed it to her. As Belle continued to look at the cover, she thought back to the last time she had seen this very tome.

It clicked into place. Rumplestiltskin had requested she put it on the shelf in the castle's library. At the time, she had sensed something a little strange about the book, only… it had not registered in her mind to wonder why. Now, it did.

What was so special about this book? She wanted to find out.

She turned to Henry. "Get everyone together. I want Emma and Rumple to see this book."

Henry gave a nod of agreement. "I may be the Author, but Mom and Rumplestiltskin would know more about this than I would."

* * *

 _The sun was high in the sky. All across the tropical island, the sights, sounds, and smells gave away the magical land's identity. This was a place where children could visit in their dreams. A paradise for those who believed anything was possible. A comfort for those who were lost or felt abandoned._

 _This was_ _ **Never Land**_ _— the magical island where mermaids played, children's laughter echoed throughout the day, and people never grew up. A land where time itself stood still and anything was possible, even flying. All anyone there had to do was believe._

 _It was on this wonderful day that a certain Animal-talent fairy was calmly soaring through the air above a river that had long been named "Havendish Stream". The sunlight sparkled on the water like it was dancing._

 _Fawn smiled brightly as she flew along. The further down the river she went, the clearer the air seemed to get. The immense forest on either side of the stream appeared to go on forever. She swirled herself around in a spiral as she proceeded past the next turn in the river and to the trees. She swerved over and under the branches as she zoomed through the forest._

 _A small flock of bluebirds came over to observe the swiftly-moving brown-haired fairy. Fawn acknowledged the birds with her smile. She had some patches of mud and dirt on her brown skirt, but she did not care. Playing and spending time with animals was a part of who she was. Nothing would ever change that. Fawn was convinced of that._

 _She swooped through an open meadow covered in sunflowers. "Sunflower Meadow" she knew it was called. She glanced to her left. In the distance, she could see the Home Tree rising over the rest of the landscape. Beyond it, in the far distance, was the peak of the island's dormant volcano,_ Torth Mountain _._

 _This was_ _ **Pixie Hollow**_ _— the secret heart of Never Land. Sometimes it was called the "fairy kingdom", or "Fairy Haven". This was where fairies of every talent, shape, size, and personality lived out their lives…._

… _Unless they tended to go abroad and share their magic with the lands beyond. Fawn had heard of one such place; the_ _ **Enchanted Forest**_ _. She had never been there herself, but she had heard stories about the various people who lived there. Kings, queens, wizards, and knights in shining armor. The descriptions sounded like characters straight out of a fairy tale storybook._

 _Fawn continued to smile as she soared across the meadow and continued into the forest beyond. The bluebirds had flown off, but they were not heading where the brown-eyed fairy was._

 _Fawn had a play-date with two of her friends._

 _As she continued to fly, her mind went back to the voice she had heard not too long before. It had sounded like someone was pleading for a special friend. She had shrugged it off at the time._

 _Yet, the sensation of the desperation in the voice remained. She decided not to let it distract her any longer._

 _She soon reached her destination. A patch of meadow not too far away from the sunflowers. It was here Fawn came across a young bluebird named Cleo, and the harmless hawk, Hannah._

 _Fawn smiled as she approached her two animal friends._

" _Hey, guys!" she said in another language. It consisted of a series of chirps, squawks, and caws. Only a member of the bird family would have understood it._

 _Both Cleo and Hannah chirped back when they saw Fawn approaching them. Fawn looked over her friends and smiled brighter. "Who's up for a game of 'Hide-And-Chirp'?"_

 _The two animals chirped their excitement. Fawn felt happy. "Hide-And-Chirp" was one of her favorite games to play with these two. First, she would cover her eyes and start counting (in chirps) to twenty. She would be facing a tree she had designated as the "base". Cleo and Hannah would then hide. When Fawn reached twenty, she would listen for their chirps and see if she could find and tag them before they both made it to the "base"._

 _If Cleo or Hannah made it to the "base" before Fawn could tag them, whoever made it back first would be the winner. If Fawn tagged them both before they made it back, she would win._

 _Fawn pointed to a nearby oak tree. "This will be the 'base'," she announced in another series of chirps. "Who's ready?"_

 _The two birds chirped louder than before. This made Fawn grin with joy. Nothing could affect this lovely day._

 _The sound of a bugle rang through the forest. Fawn turned around. The noise was coming from the direction of the Home Tree. She paused, certain this meant something important._

 _She sighed, knowing she had to go — and she had just arrived for the play-date. Fawn turned to her friends. "I'm going to have to take a raincheck," she told them in a sad voice. "That was Rhia's signal. Queen Clarion must be making an important announcement."_

 _Cleo and Hannah both glanced at one another. They nodded and approached the fairy. Fawn found herself being comforted by Hannah's wing and Cleo's feather (and beak, since she was unintentionally poking Fawn's head). Fawn had to smile, knowing she had true, understanding friends._

" _I'll be back," she assured the two. "I promise."_

 _She hopped into the sky. As Fawn flew away, she waved to the two young birds below. Cleo and Hannah waved back with their wings. This sight made Fawn smile all the more. She headed for the not-too-distant Home Tree._

* * *

The Storybrooke Town Library was located at one of the most-visited intersections in the town. It was not too far from _Granny's Diner_ , a popular hangout for the local residents. Some of the apartments were situated across the street.

At the roof of this building was a tall clock-tower. The hands on it had been turning since the time Emma Swan had first arrived about four years back. This particular building had always stood out to the townspeople as a symbol of their home.

Inside the first floor of this place was a library. Many of the books had never left their shelves. Hard-cover, soft-cover, and even magazines were kept in their proper places almost constantly.

It was here that Belle and Henry had gathered everyone together. Emma, Killian, David, Snow White, Regina, and Rumplestiltskin had all shown up at about the same time. Each of them was wondering what "important thing" Henry and Belle had to show them.

Rumplestiltskin suspected whatever it was had something to do with magic. Why else would his wife draw him away from his mid-morning stroll? Then again, perhaps she wanted him to use his magic for something good. How many times did he have to remind her? He no longer possessed his dark magic.

After Emma had had him pull _Excalibur_ from the stone, Rumplestiltskin had sensed how much better he felt as a hero than a villain. Maybe he did not need to have everything…. The last action he had taken as a villain was when he had turned on his father and sent the latter's soul into the River Styx for eternity.

David and Snow had come over in a hurry, even though they had been busy trying to catch up on a stack of paperwork at the sheriff's station. Fortunately, Lancelot was still there helping out. The former Knight of The Round Table had suddenly shown up in Storybrooke less than two days after Zelena had struck down Hades in the town hall. He had explained his discovery of a magic bean in _**Camelot**_ to everyone before agreeing to help out at the station. He had been there ever since.

Regina had been having a meal with her sister at the diner. The two had spent a lot of time together, mainly since they were in the same boat. After Robin had been killed and Hades terminated, they had both come to accept they would never get the happy endings had dreamed of. Instead, they had decided to make do with what they did have.

That was one of the reasons why Zelena had become the new leader of the Merry Men. Regina, on the other hand, was still the mayor of Storybrooke. Henry did come over to spend the night from time to time, even though he still needed to let Emma and the others know where he was — just to be safe. For all anyone knew, there might still be a villain lurking in the background.

When they had received the call from Henry, Emma and Killian had been spending time in the town's new park. It was a small space, but had enough grass for both Happy and Dopey to plant flowers. Even Leroy seemed to enjoy the gardening, even if he was really doing it to please Sister Astrid — the fairy, Nova. She had come by each morning to smile at the work the dwarves had been doing, which made Leroy grin.

It had been during one of these times when Emma's phone had rang. She had answered it, listened to Henry, and confirmed they were on their way. She had informed Killian about the meeting, so the two had hurried over.

Now that everyone was gathered around one of the tables in the library, Henry carefully placed the book onto the table. Everyone else (except Belle) stared at it in different ways. Emma and Killian were surprised. "I sense magic," Emma indicated.

"A _lot_ of it," Killian added.

David and Snow were equally confused. "Why's it glowing?" Snow asked.

"It might have to do with the magic inside," David said.

Regina looked bored. "This is a book — an ordinary book someone must've poured some magic on," she stated. She gazed into the direction of Rumplestiltskin. "And I think we all know who could have done it."

Rumplestiltskin shook his head. "I know what book this is," he informed the group. "But I am not the one who gave it its magic. It came that way. I obtained it from a sorceress in Agrabah during one of my visits to the desert."

"How magical is it?" Snow asked.

"Very magical," Rumplestiltskin explained. He seemed to be giving a hint of a grin at everyone. "This book is more than just a cover and pages. You should know not to judge a book by its cover."

Regina nearly rolled her eyes at that last statement. "What's so 'magical' about it?" she insisted to know.

Rumplestiltskin reached out and unlocked the book's cover. He turned the book to a particular page. It contained an illustration of a forest with some particular areas and trees labelled. He leaned over the page and looked directly at it. With a nod, he looked back up at Belle. "I need that wand now," he said.

Belle nodded. When Rumplestiltskin had confirmed his presence, he had requested Belle bring a magic wand, just in case. She held out the wand for her husband. Rumplestiltskin accepted it and waved the wand over the book's pages. After a few moments, he set it down beside the book, and peered down at the pages. "Are you there, dearie?" he called into the book.

" _ **Let me out!** "_

The voice makes everyone jump. Emma is taken completely by surprise. The last thing she had expected was someone living _inside_ this book. That explained its magic… sort of. She leaned over the table and looked straight into the book. "Who are you?" she called.

" _I'm Donna,"_ the voice replied. _"Can you get me and my friends_ _ **out**_ _of here?!"_

Killian's ears perked up in an instant when he heard the name. He knew that name, and he knew that voice. It was the same girl he had met years ago in the _**Enchanted Forest**_. She had gone into the Minotaur's Maze and retrieved the compass for him. In return, he had directed her to Rumplestiltskin's estate.

Now, it appeared she had somehow gotten trapped in the book before his eyes. "Bloody heck," he remarked. "I know her."

Emma and the others stared at him in alarm. "What?" David inquired.

"Excuse me?" Snow White added.

"I know Donna," Killian explained. "She was a girl who asked me how to Rumplestiltskin. It was long ago, before the _Dark Curse_. She helped me retrieve my compass."

He reached into his pocket and held up the small item for everyone to see. "She was a kind child."

Emma was as amazed as her parents. Killian now looked perplexed. "How did she get stuck _in_ this book?" he questioned.

All eyes turned to Rumplestiltskin. "I tried to warn her about how magic always has a price," he told them. "But she wouldn't listen. Leaving her trapped in that book was my way of teaching her a lesson."

"That was _then_ ," an unamused Regina stated in a firm voice. "You're no longer the 'Dark One'. Set them free."

"I need powerful magic to do that," Rumplestiltskin pinpointed. "Magic I no longer have. You'll need someone who is still a wizard to undo this spell. It might not be easy to find one. This spell came from Amara. That's some _very_ strong magic."

"Wait," David blurted suddenly. "Merlin. His powers are strong enough to open portals between realms. Maybe _he_ can help us."

Emma's eyes lit up when she realized she had forgotten about Merlin. Even though Killian had crushed his heart and used it to enact a curse back in _**Camelot**_ , the good sorcerer had shown up in Storybrooke. According to his account, he had been revived by Zeus specifically because he had ultimately been successful in helping Emma get rid of all the Darkness from the earlier "'Dark Ones'", including Nimue. Besides, he had drank from the Holy Grail, which actually had made him immortal. He now was living in his mansion near the town's outskirts.

"Yes," Emma approved. "Merlin should be able to help us."

"Let's go," Henry urged. He scooped up the book from the table and locked the now-closed cover. Less than five minutes later, Emma, Killian, Henry, David, Snow, and Belle were out the door and heading for the mansion. Regina was not too far behind.

Only Rumplestiltskin remained in the library. He strolled outside, locked the building's doors, and proceeded down the street. He grinned a little more, knowing his daughter-in-law was on the verge of restoring another lost happy ending.

* * *

 _The skies were rather empty by the time Fawn reached the Home Tree. Being the largest and tallest tree in_ _ **Pixie Hollow**_ _made it the most-recognizable landmark. Inside were the rooms for hundreds of fairies and sparrow men._

 _Fawn flew into view of the tree in time to find everyone gathering outside the tree's entrance. She quickly spotted her friend, Tinker Bell, in the crowd. She slipped in between Tinker Bell and another fairy named Silvermist._

 _A young, rather thin fairy hovered a little before everyone's eyes. She had fair skin, long, braided brown hair, and reddish-brown eyes. She was wearing a blue, sleeveless dress with a golden apron, a golden pair of leaves forming a miniature necktie around her neck, a pair of golden anklets, blue shoes, and a golden bandana-like leaf over the top of her head. She had a small, silver bugle in her right hand._

 _Fawn knew who this was. Rhia, one of the queen's four "Helper fairies". She was the one who helped the queen keep track of her schedule and gave the signal for everyone in the kingdom to gather for special announcements (such as this one)._

 _Rhia glanced back for a moment. She turned to the crowd of spectators. "Fairies and sparrow men," she announced in a calm, clear (somewhat high-pitched) voice. "Her Majesty, Queen Clarion."_

 _Fawn watched as the queen gracefully came forward. If it was not for her bluish dress, no one would have had any reason to call her the Blue Fairy. Of course, to the fairies, she was still Queen Clarion, the ruler of the fairy kingdom and the oldest, wisest fairy alive._

 _Fawn kept her eyes on the queen, even when Tinker Bell and Silvermist both moved a little closer to her to allow enough room for their other two friends, Rosetta and Iridessa, to join them._

" _Attention all fairies and sparrow men of Pixie Hollow," Queen Clarion declared. "Earlier this afternoon, something magical happened. We received a message from the Enchanted Forest. Some of you may have heard this message, but for those of you who did not, it was about a young girl who wants to have some special friends of her own."_

 _Fawn's heart nearly leaped. So it had not just been her? If the queen had felt the same strong sensation, maybe it was something serious. Perhaps the little girl_ _ **was**_ _desperate after all._

 _A series of chatter had followed the queen's words. It took a few minutes of Rhia to have everyone in the crowd quiet down. At last, Queen Clarion could continue. "I know some of you will want to help this girl. But I advise you…. "_

 _Fawn's mind had drifted away. She was thinking about the girl from the message. Was she living all alone? Did other people pick on her? Why had the message felt so terribly sad? It almost made Fawn want to cry the more she thought about it._

 _There was only one thing she could do. "I'm going to help that girl!"_

 _Silence immediately filled the air. Fawn looked around in question. Everyone's eyes were now on her — including the queen. Tinker Bell's hand was over her face. Silvermist looked perplexed. Rosetta and Iridessa both looked worried._

 _Fawn gulped a little. She gave an anxious smile. She had unintentionally spoken out loud. Her cheeks started to blush a little, turning a slight shade of pink against her freckles. "I spoke out loud," she said aloud. "Didn't I?"_

 _Silvermist nodded. "It's okay," she said. "I've done this many times."_

 _Fawn had to smile at her friend. The Water-talent fairy_ _ **had**_ _spoken out aloud during an assembly in the past. Then again, Silvermist had done a lot of things without intending to. She easily made mistakes and got herself mixed up in various problematic situations._

 _Once, she had taken a cloud from a magical sprite… but that was another story._

 _Queen Clarion gestured Fawn to come forward. With a nervous chuckle, Fawn fluttered to the front of the crowd and up to where the queen was Rhia were waiting._

" _I'd fly backwards if I could," Fawn apologized._

 _The queen was not smiling. This did not prevent Fawn from smiling. Queen Clarion took a deep breath before she spoke. "Fawn, I know this is hard for you, but…. "_

" _I know, I know," Fawn said. Her smile seemed to fade a little. She gave a sigh. This was not the first time she and the queen had had this talk. "I always listen to my heart. But, I also need to listen to my head."_

" _Yes," Queen Clarion affirmed. "That's what I mean. Fawn, listen to me. Do not get involved with that girl. She will one day have all the happiness she wants."_

 _Fawn was taken by surprise. What was Queen Clarion saying? She was not allowed to make a desperate request come true? That did not sound like something a fairy should do. She needed to help her. What's the worst that could happen? She needed to at least know_ _ **that**_ _!_

" _Why can't I help?" Fawn shrugged. "What's the worst that could happen if I did?"_

 _Queen Clarion looked Fawn straight in her eyes. "You will lose your wings," she stated._

 _The crowd of fairies gasped in complete alarm. Fawn was speechless. Losing their wings was the_ **WORST** _punishment a fairy could endure. When it happened, not only would the fairy no longer be able to fly, they would also be banished from Pixie Hollow. No one knew what became of a fairy who got banished like that._

 _Only one fairy had ever been banished in this terrible way. Her name had been Vidia. Ever since then, everyone had nicknamed her, "_ The Dark Fairy _". She had been exiled specifically for using dark magic with her fairy dust._

 _Fawn gulped with anxiety. She felt a few drops of sweat flow down her face. She gave Queen Clarion a quick nod. "O-Okay," she said. "I will not get involved."_

 _This seemed to please the queen. Deep down, Fawn still wished she could help the girl._

* * *

The Sorcerer's Mansion was not a difficult place to find. Thanks to its location not too far from the beach, it stood out for most of the townspeople who tended to go out for strolls along the coast in the morning. It had originally been found by Belle sometime after Storybrooke had been re-created by David and Snow White when the two had launched their own curse.

When Emma and the others arrived, they found the front entrance being moped clean by a magical broomstick. The sight of the enchanted broom reminded Emma of " _ **FANTASIA**_ ", a Disney-made movie she had seen years ago.

After carefully stepping up the steps to the front entrance, David knocked at the door. A few minutes seemed to take a few hours for Regina. At last, the door opened and a tall, young man sporting dark skin answered. He grinned when he saw the group. "Hello, Emma and friends," he said.

"Merlin," Emma said. "We have something to show you."

Merlin welcomed the group into the mansion. Once inside, Henry and Belle showed the sorcerer the book they had found in the shop. Merlin took a moment to examine the tome. "I'm sorry," he sighed. "I'm afraid I can't help you."

Regina's hands flew to her hips. She looked completely unimpressed. "Why not?" she demanded to know.

"The spell on this book can only be broken by someone who has magic relating to animals," Merlin responded. "That form of magic is _very_ rare. I never did learn it myself."

"That is _unacceptable_ ," Regina stated. "You call yourself a sorcerer, and you can't break a simple spell."

Emma stepped forwards. "Is there anyone who would have that form of magic?"

"The only one who might have animal-based magic," Merlin paused for a few seconds. "Other than Cruella De Vil… a fairy. Fairies each have special forms of magic."

"Mother Superior," David realized. "She might know someone."

"Let's keep going," Henry agreed.

Killian wanted to grin. "This is starting to turn into another bloody quest."

This made Emma and the others all smile themselves. It was true. First, they had come to Merlin because Rumplestiltskin was unable to set Donna free from inside the book. Second, Merlin was unable to set Donna free because the book's spell was very, very, very, very specific.

Now, they were going to ask the Blue Fairy for help. Who knew how many more people they would have to ask before they reached their goal? It might take the rest of the day for all they knew.

* * *

 _The sun had started to descend from the sky. Long shadows were now stretching across the forest and the meadows. Owls were starting their hunting trips. The fireflies were on patrol, lighting up the more well-traveled areas of Pixie Hollow._

 _Even from inside her room in the Home Tree, Fawn could see everything through her window. She sighed deeply. As she laid on her leafy bed, her mind was thinking over what had happened at the assembly._

 _Queen Clarion had insisted she not help the young girl. To make things worse, the queen had warned Fawn she would lose her wings if she did try to help. This was still troubling her. Why should she be banished for wanting to help someone_ _ **innocent**_ _?_

 _It did_ _ **not**_ _make sense. Most fairies (like her) were allowed to make people's wishes come true. There were not supposed to be limitations to that. And yet, that was exactly what Queen Clarion had done here._

 _Fawn was torn between her eagerness to help the girl and the fear of losing her wings and being exiled from Pixie Hollow. She wondered what mattered more. Her status as a fairy? Or helping someone in need? True… she had been trying hard to listen to her head instead of her heart. But… was this one of those times when she should listen to her heart? She was not sure._

" _What should I do?" she said to herself._

 _There was a knock on the door. Fawn sat up in a hurry. A younger fairy flew in, closing the door behind herself. Thanks to her brown hair that was tied into a pair of pigtails, bluish eyes, green leafy tunic, brown vine belt, brown boots, and green elf-like hat, Fawn immediately knew who it was._

" _Beck," Fawn recognized._

 _Beck smiled at Fawn. "I know you didn't mean to shout out during the assembly," she said in her high-spirited voice. "I know you want to help that girl."_

 _Fawn gave a very, very deep sigh. "What should I do?"_

 _Beck's smile faded. She looked out the window. "I think… you should follow your heart. Everyone says that, right?"_

 _Fawn paused for a minute. True, everyone_ _ **except**_ _Queen Clarion said it was best to follow your heart. Why should_ _ **she**_ _be an exception? Her heart was telling her to help the girl by granting her wish. She_ _ **had**_ _to do it. She_ _ **needed**_ _to do it. There was_ _ **no**_ _exception._

 _With a smile, Fawn turned to Beck and hugged her. "Thanks, Beck! I'm going to do that now!"_

 _Beck was startled. "_ _ **Huh**_ _?!"_

 _Fawn was soaring out the window before Beck could have asked what was going on. Beck watched her friend leave in a wingbeat. She was completely mystified. "What did I say?"_

* * *

 _Less than three hours had passed since Fawn had flown away from her room in the Home Tree. She was long out of sight from Pixie Hollow and a great distance away from Never Land for_ that _matter. In fact, she was now somewhere on the edge of a lush, green forest._

 _ **The Enchanted Forest**_ _._

 _Fawn smiled as she soared through the trees and headed in the direction she had sensed the wish had come from. It was a good thing fairies automatically could sense the origins of wishes. It helped keep them from getting lost in unfamiliar areas._

 _She soon arrived at a small, two story house with a wooden roof. The walls were also crafted from wood, a sight that made Fawn curious. She took a moment to look at the woodwork before she heard someone sighing from above her. She looked up. A window on the second floor was open._

" _Just follow your heart, Fawn," she told herself._

 _The conversation with Queen Clarion returned to her mind. She paused. Should she really go through with this? She knew she needed to listen to her head. Her heart tended to get her into trouble. "Head is your friend," she told herself._

 _She froze and hastily took a look around the immediate area. Nothing appeared to have changed. "And yet… head is making me talk to myself, out loud, and in the Enchanted Forest. No, no, no — I need to be a model fairy."_

 _She turned to fly away. The painful sensation she had felt earlier crossed her mind once more. She glanced back at the window. Her smile returned. "Starting first thing tomorrow."_

 _Without another word, she soared through the open window._

* * *

It had not taken too long for Emma, Killian, Henry, Belle, Regina, Snow White, and David to find the Blue Fairy. The leader of the fairies had been stepping out of _Granny's Diner_ when the group had come rolling past in their vehicles. It was not long before Henry and Belle filled her in on what they had discovered and what Merlin had said.

After Henry had handed her the book, the Blue Fairy had taken a few moments to examine the spell over it. Emma asked, "Do you know someone who can remove it?"

"Yes," The Blue Fairy answered. "I remember a certain Animal-talent fairy named 'Fawn'. She was banished from the fairy kingdom because she granted someone's wish without permission."

Belle seemed confused. "I don't understand. How is _that_ a reason to be banished?"

"It's not," Regina told her. "It's no different than what happened to Tinker Bell."

"I know," a voice said from behind the Blue Fairy. Mother Superior spun around. Standing at the entrance doors of the diner was the golden-haired young lady Emma and the others had met during their quest on _**Never Land**_. The only notable difference was her dark-blue nun's robe.

"Tinker Bell," the Blue Fairy said. "I thought you were at the chapel."

"It's all taken care for," Tinker Bell replied. "Don't worry about it."

She turned her attention to the others. "I remember Fawn. She was my friend. She was always dirty, but it never bothered her. She only wanted to help bring someone's wish to life, but Queen Clarion said she couldn't. When Fawn disobeyed her orders, Queen Clarion banished her from Pixie Hollow."

"I always thought Tinker Bell was the only fairy to be banished," Killian spoke up. "I guess there were two."

" _Three_ ," the Blue Fairy corrected the pirate captain. "Tinker Bell, Fawn, and Vidia."

Now it was Emma's turn to speak. "Where can we find Fawn? Is she in Storybrooke?"

The Blue Fairy shook her head. "I'm sorry, but when a fairy gets banished, they end up somewhere in the Enchanted Forest. All I know is the name of the kingdom closest to where she landed — Swan Lake."

"' _Swan Lake_ '?" a startled Emma declared. "Seriously?" Last she had checked, " _Swan Lake_ " was the name of a world-renowned ballet. She had once seen an animated movie based on it as a child. Still, not even that was enough to prepare her mind for hearing it was a real place in her parents' homeland.

"I know where that is," David stated. "It's on the far side of the Enchanted Forest, near the town of Sleepy Hollow."

Emma's eyes grew. Now there was Sleepy Hollow? As in… that ghost story, " _The Legend of Sleepy Hollow_ "? Now that was even more unexpected. " _Swan Lake_ " seemed more like an actual fairy tale than " _The Legend of Sleepy Hollow_ ". After all, the first one contained magic. The second was all about a schoolmaster and headless ghost. How could both of them exist in a land filled with magic and characters from classic fairy tales?

Even now, nearly four years since Henry had first brought her here to Storybrooke in October, 2011, Emma was still taken by surprise when she learned more and more about the land she was originally from.

"How can we get over there?" Snow White asked. "There aren't any more magic beans."

"Not even fairy magic could open a portal there," the Blue Fairy added.

Emma sighed. Not only was someone trapped in a book without their happy ending, there was no way of reaching the only one who could set them free? She wondered what they were going to do — now.

"There is a way," Tinker Bell said as she strolled up beside the Blue Fairy. All eyes swung to the young lady. "A _Fairy Circle_."

The Blue Fairy stared at Tinker Bell. "No, it's too dangerous for anyone who's not a fairy. You know that, Tinker Bell."

"What are you talking about?" Snow White inquired.

"What is a ' _Fairy Circle_ '?" Emma wondered aloud.

"A portal," the Blue Fairy explained. "It is specially-designed for a fairy to travel from Pixie Hollow to another land and back. They only stay open for up to twenty-four hours."

"That should be enough time," Killian grinned. "Let's go."

"Hold on," the Blue Fairy states all of a sudden. "Only five who are not fairies or sparrow men can cross through because a _Fairy Circle_ is a small, narrow passage. The same number must come back as go through or there will be a terrible price to pay."

"What price?" Henry asked.

The Blue Fairy did not answer. Tinker Bell looked a little uneasy. "I don't think we want to find out," Killian muttered.

Emma looks straight at the leader of the fairies. "It doesn't matter what the heck the price is. We need to find Fawn and set Donna free from the book."

Donna's happy ending was yet to come. Emma was convinced that, until everyone's happy endings had arrived, her job as the "Savior" was incomplete. She needed to restore happiness and order in each and every land out there — especially in her home, Storybrooke, Maine.

* * *

 _The nest felt nice and warm. A few cracked eggshells were situated inside. Fawn had assumed the owner had flown off for the night. This made the perfect place to stay and watch how everything had turned out._

 _She peered over the edge of the nest's woven railing. The sounds of a delightful child could be heard through the open window. This made Fawn smile. Even though she could still hear Queen Clarion's words ringing through her mind over and over, she could hear the young girl — Donna — squealing with delight._

 _At that particular point in time, Fawn did not care if she lost her wings. All that mattered was she had brought happiness to someone who really wanted it. That was enough for her. Who knows? Maybe Queen Clarion would change her mind once she realized how pleased Donna had become._

 _With that in mind, Fawn nodded. "I did the right thing," she declared out loud._

 _She smiled all the more as she hopped into the air and started to soar away. It was not long before she was on her way back to the_ Fairy Circle _she had used to travel to the Enchanted Forest._

* * *

 _Night had fallen across the tall mountains and volcanoes on the island of Never Land. The enormous moon could be seen in the distance, silhouetting Never Peak Mountain, the tallest point on the island._

 _Fawn's_ Fairy Circle _exited on the other side of the sunflower meadow. She quickly found herself flying in the direction of the Home Tree. A trail of fairy dust followed behind. She noticed a passing owl fly on by. It was late, but that did not bother her._

 _She liked spending time with the nocturnal animals as much as she enjoyed being with her daytime friends. Yet, she was focused on getting back to her room._

 _She gave a small yawn. She was too worn out from her trip to the Enchanted Forest. She needed to head to bed. She could visit her nighttime animal friends tomorrow night._

 _When Fawn reached the Home Tree, she noticed Rhia was flittering out front like a lookout. Her eyes were peeled for something or other._

 _Fawn slipped behind a small bush near the tree's roots. She peered at the fairy standing outside. She wondered if Rhia was watching for her. Did this mean Queen Clarion_ _ **already**_ _knew about her journey to the Enchanted Forest?_

 _Before she could think any more about it, a bluish glow appeared from behind. Fawn glanced back. To her astonishment, there was the queen decked out in her usual blue dress. She holding her bluish magical wand in her right hand._

 _Fawn grinned with a hint of anxiety. It was impossible for her not to show her nervousness. She never could hide anything very well. Maybe that was her weakness because she was a fairy? She had no clue of knowing for sure._

" _H-Hi, Queen Clarion," Fawn said in a rather shy voice. It almost sounded like a squeak. "Is this a beautiful night or what?"_

 _Queen Clarion did not look pleased. In fact, she appeared to be frowning. "Fawn, I know all about what you did," she said in a solemn voice. "You went to the Enchanted Forest. You used your fairy magic to bring Donna's animal friends to life. You took away her future happiness. One day, she will pay the price of using magic, all because_ _ **you**_ _granted her wish."_

 _Fawn was shocked. How could one, little wish being granted destroy someone else's happy ending? It did not make sense. She did what was correct. She brought happiness. "I made a little girl's dreams come true," she tried to explain._

" _I'd fly backwards if I could," Queen Clarion told Fawn. "But there's no other way."_

 _Fawn gulped. She felt a few drops of sweat slide down her face and drip off her nose. She knew what was about to happen._

" _Fawn," the queen stated. "I don't believe in you anymore."_

 _Fawn was well beyond terrified. Before she could say anything, her wings suddenly vanished in a small cloud of orange magic. She started to glow brightly and suddenly found herself being catapulted through into the night sky. In a few seconds, she was visible as nothing more than a small, sparkling light. The light turned into a shooting star and disappeared below the horizon._

 _Rhia came flying over, stunned silent at the display. Queen Clarion sighed deeply. "If only you could have followed my instructions…. "_

 _Another fairy came flying over. She possessed long, flowing reddish-brown hair, reddish-brown eyes, and clear skin. She was decked out in a purple dress with sky-blue sleeves and a matching apron, sky-blue shoes with purple straps, and a sky-blue bonnet fastened on top by pair of green vines. Her name was Lisel, another of Queen Clarion's four "Helper Fairies"._

" _Queen Clarion, it's time for bed," Lisel said in her calm, very high-pitched voice. It would have sounded like a squeak to a human ear. "Come along. I got everything all ready."_

 _Unknown to any of them, there was a pair of eyes peering through the nearby foliage. From the lush, dark forest, Tinker Bell had witnessed the whole scene. She was starting to feel more rebellious after watching her Animal-talent friend get banished from Pixie Hollow. This was an unfair punishment for an innocent fairy like Fawn._

 _She would be protesting this by breaking the rules herself. She_ _ **had**_ _to take a stand._ _ **Never**_ _again would another fairy get forced out of the fairy kingdom. She would personally_ **see** _to it!_

* * *

The shop was eerily still when Emma, Killian, Henry, Belle, Regina, David, and Snow White came inside with the Blue Fairy. Standing behind the cash register was none other than Rumplestiltskin himself. When he saw the group coming inside, he gave a sigh of annoyance. "Sorry, dearies, but I'm closed for the day today."

"We have business here," Emma stated. "We need your help."

Rumplestiltskin grinned. "And just why would I help you _this_ time, Emma? You're the Savior. I'm just a make-believe hero you created. How would I be able to help you?"

"By finding a fairy in the Enchanted Forest," David clarified. "Her name is Fawn. She's the only one who can set Donna free from that book you trapped her in."

"I see," Rumplestiltskin said. He was not amuse in the least little bit. Emma knew his grin was a fake. "And what do _I_ get out this deal?"

"The satisfaction of knowing you helped someone?" Snow suggested with a smile.

Regina rolled her eyes. All of them knew that was never going to happen when it came to Rumplestiltskin. He was always open to making deals, as long as he himself got something out of it. It did not matter what it was he was after. Thank goodness no one had ever made a deal by giving their soul to him! Then again… maybe someone _had_ done that?

"I have a better option," Rumplestiltskin said. He reached below the counter and picked out a wooden box. He placed it onto the countertop and opened it. To Emma and the others surprise, a glowing piece of marbleized glass was inside. Emma, Henry, Regina, and the Blue Fairy instantly recognized it.

"' _The Olympian Crystal_ '," Emma realized. She remembered it from the storybook. It had been in the part that described Hades's story and weakness.

"You could strike someone down with that," the Blue Fairy gulped.

"You mean 'smite' them," Henry corrected.

"I don't care what the heck it means," Regina stated in a firm voice. She scowled at Rumplestiltskin. "Where in the heck did you get that? The last one to use one was when Zelena used it on Hades."

"You'd be surprised where you might find these trinkets," Rumplestiltskin responded. "If you want me to come along, I must take this for my own protection. Not having any dark powers makes me… vulnerable to anyone still living in the Enchanted Forest."

"Rumple," Belle started to say.

"Fine," David agreed, cutting the young woman off. "You can take that — on one condition. You can't use it on one of us."

"I don't intend to," Rumplestiltskin stated. "Let's just say, I have some living enemies still in the Enchanted Forest."

"Okay," Emma approved. "We'll be going to the Kingdom of Swan Lake. Do you know anyone there?"

Before Rumplestiltskin could answer, the Blue Fairy stepped forward. "I would hate to break this up, but if you're still planning to travel to the Enchanted Forest, you'd better decide who's going through the _Fairy Circle_."

It took only a few minutes for a party to be formed. Emma, Killian, David, Snow White, and Rumplestiltskin were chosen. Regina agreed to stay behind and keep an eye on Henry. Belle stayed back to keep an eye on the book.

With everything arranged, the Blue Fairy held out her navy-blue magical wand. She waved it in a circle over the shop's back wall. There was a slight wind, followed by a few bolts of magical lightning. An opening appeared in the wall. It was a dark-blue color and resembled a wormhole from a science-fiction movie.

"Alright," the Blue Fairy called to the group. She did not have to shout since the _Fairy Circle_ had calmed down enough to make very little noise. "You may proceed. Remember, after twenty-four hours this portal will close. You must make it back before then."

"Thanks for the reminder," Rumplestiltskin commented.

"Let's get to the Enchanted Forest," Emma declared.

She leapt into the _Fairy Circle_. Killian was next in line. David and Snow held their hands before jumping in together.

Rumplestiltskin was the last one to approach it. As he walked up to it, a voice called out to him. "Rumple, promise me you'll be safe."

Rumplestiltskin glanced back. Belle was looked at him with a worried look in her eyes. He grinned in her direction. "Don't worry. I _will_ make it back."

This seemed to cheer up the young, brown-haired woman. After one last look at the watching Belle, Regina, Henry, and the Blue Fairy, Rumplestiltskin turned to the _Fairy Circle_. He strode over to the opening and casually stepped through.

* * *

 **A/N: ...AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! CHAPTER 3 \- THE MAIN STORY'S FIRST CHAPTER \- HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN COMPLETED!**

 **So, here is the main thought I was wondering immediately after I wrote that Flashback into the Storyline Summary. Where is Fawn now? Is she really still at Swan Lake? Or is she somewhere else entirely? Technically, she WAS banished long before Regina launched her Dark Curse and first created Storybrooke. A LOT can happen in a short time. You would be surprised.**

 **As it is, I wanted to point out (in case you did not notice), the opening of This Chapter, where I described Storybrooke, was taken directly from the Secret Ending of my " _Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams_ " Story. Yes, yes - that WAS Storybrooke mentioned in my KH Story. I might be including some " _Kingdom Hearts_ " thing(s) in my " _Once Upon A Time_ " Stories, too!**

 **Plus, Please let me know if anyone feels out of character to you. Any and all constructive criticism will be appreciated - especially since this is my first " _Once Upon A Time_ " Story. My only request is you do not say anything so extreme, it could be considered cursing... or worse.**

 **By the way, Rhia, Lisel, Beck, "Rosetta", "Iridessa", and Silvermist are all characters straight from " _Disney Fairies_ ". I made The Blue Fairy the ruler, Queen Clarion, since that is the role she seems to play in the " _Once Upon A Time_ " show.**

 **Also, Fawn's outfit in This Chapter was based on her appearance in " _Tinker Bell And The Legend OF The NeverBeast (2015)_ "! The opening scene of the Flashback used in This Chapter was written while listening to the song " _Float_ " from that very movie.**

 **In addition, the " _Disney Fairies_ " concepts used in these stories are all based on the franchise's books - not the movies. Why? Simple! The movies take place BEFORE Disney's " _Peter Pan (1953)_ ". The books take place AFTER Disney's " _Peter Pan (1953)_ ". Besides, I am not planning to include any of the things exclusive to the books in my KH Stories. If you want to see the " _Disney Fairies_ " Franchise told from the books or the movies, you may have to switch between which series (" _Kingdom Hearts_ " OR " _Once Upon A Time_ ") has the version you are searching for.**  
 **I sure glad to get THAT taken care of!**

 **Lastly, I would like to re-state that I might Not be able to write this story very rapidly - Especially in comparison to how swiftly I wrote " _Kingdom Hearts - World Unto_ _Dreams_ ". Besides, it has taken me a long time to write each Chapter for " _Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light_ ". I shall be trying my best to focus on these two separate stories - at the same time. As a matter of fact, I will be going back to " _Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light_ " for a while so I do not completely lose my place in it.**

 **So, here is a " Foreshadow"/"HINT" for the next Chapter! Why did I do this? The show does the same thing!**  
 **HINT: "THE TOWN OF SLEEPY HOLLOW COMES INTO VIEW WHEN EMMA AND THE OTHERS SEARCH FOR A WAY TO THE SWAN LAKE CASTLE! EVERYONE SEEMS WARY OF STRANGERS, YET WHAT COULD IT MEAN?! PERHAPS RUMPLESTILTSKIN KNOWS SOMETHING!"**  
 **FIND OUT WHEN CHAPTER FOUR ARRIVES!**  
 **IF You believe you know what might happen in Chapter 4 (and the story beyond it), Please post your answers in the Reviews section for THIS Chapter!**

 **Please at least TRY to do this, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

 **PLEASE DO NOT FORGET \- THE REVIEW GOAL FOR THIS STORY IS  50 REVIEWS! THERE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY [ABOUT] 20 CHAPTERS! IF THIS GOAL IS REACHED, I WILL POST THE SEQUEL I CURRENTLY AM CREATING THE STORYLINE SUMMARY FOR! SO, PLEASE POST SOME REVIEWS!**

 **This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


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